You Have My Heart
by DarkestLightOfHope
Summary: "This can't be happening! I have to face elite four and I am stuck inside you!" After Ash's victory at the kalos league, the gang decides to return to Kanto for Ash to challenge kanto Elite Four. But when manaphy comes into picture and Dawn is involved, things are going to get crazy and unexpected. Swapping of heart! Pearlshipping and hinted amourshipping!
1. Chapter 1: Heart's Swapped

**Here I am, with a new story!**

 **This story is a request by ObeliskX and I finally got some time to spend on it.**

 **And yeah, there is swapping of heart, between Ash and Dawn! There are not many heart swapping pearlshipping stories out there and so I decided to take the request. Moreover the plot is humorous too, I couldn't resist myself.**

 **I stayed up late at night to figure out whether there are any Pokémon which can use heart swap (since there are moves like Baton Pass) and I discovered Manapy and Phione can use it! Makes my work easier!**

 **I don't own Pokémon or any of its character. The basic plot of the story belongs to ObeliskX. Co-author and helping partner, my besttiee!**

 **...**

* * *

"Hurry up Serena, Bonnie and Clemont! I can smell Mom's food from here!" cried an enthusiastic raven haired boy who was just returning from his journey from Kalos. On his shoulder was a pikachu, who was just as homesick as his trainer was.

As he was waiting on the cliff which overlooked Pallet Town, he couldn't help but have a feeling of déjà vu. It has been almost six years since he had started his journey, met some amazing friends, landed in problems unknowingly and somehow making it out alive. It took him six long years to win a league. It felt really good to be back home, to be back to the place you were born and brought up in.

Serena and Bonnie came and stood beside Ash, taking a look at the small and beautiful town. "Its so small and pretty!" Bonnie chimed as Dedenne chirped in happiness too.

"I know right!" Ash boasted,"This place will always stay on the top of my favourite list." Clemont soon joined them, breathing heavily.

"I know you're excited to meet your Mom and be back home but I am an inventor not an athlete!" Clemont complained between taking breaths. Serena giggled a little and Bonnie couldn't resist the urge to roll her eyes,"Grow up big brother, you're always the one who is left behind!"

"Just five more minutes and we will be home," Ash pumped his fists in the air with a happy and cheerful expression on his face. Then looking at Pikachu, he smiled,"Then we will head to Professor Oak's lab, I can't wait to greet everyone!" His enthusiasm spread over the whole group who couldn't help but smile.

When the group reached Ash's house, Clemont and Bonnie smiled and captured every scene in their heart. Being brought up in Lumiose City, they had hardly seen anything so simple yet beautiful. Serena took a glance at Ash, who was taking small breaths. Worried, she asked,"What's concerning you?"

Ash looked at her and gave her a smile,"Mom is going to be so happy. When I lost in the Sinnoh League, she was so heartbroken, now, she will be proud of me."

"Your mother was always proud of you son," Delia, appearing behind Ash said, smiling. Ash turned and the moment he saw his mother, enveloped her in a hug. He was hardly home, and whenever he was, he never missed any chance to spend time with his mother. Delia, being a young mother, had treated Ash like a best friend rather than a son. Their bond was unique and unbelievably strong.

"I missed you so much Mom! And I won! Now I can challenge Elite four of any region! I must train hard! Am so close to achieve my dream," he said in one go. Delia giggled and broke the hug, pecking his cheek. She ran a hand through his hair and cheerfully said,"Breathe Ash, breathe! I know you're excited, but you must enter the house first. Son, I know you have won, we have a TV and Elite Four can wait and so can the battles. Let me see much you have grown Ashy and I see, you have brought some guests."

Ash scratched the back of his forehead and sheepishly replied,"Oh sorry about that! This is Clemont and she is his sister, Bonnie. And Mom this is Serena!" Pikachu, who had climbed down Ash's shoulder as soon as witnessing his mother, let out a chirp,"Pika Pika!"

Delia picked up Pikachu in her arms and rubbed her cheek against it,"You have gotten a lot stronger Pikachu! Mr. Mime will be delighted to see you." Delia gently put Pikachu down and smiled at Ash's friend,"I am Delia Ketchum, Ash's mother."

"Nice to meet you Mrs. Ketchum," Clemont said and bowed down, Bonnie did too after Clemont signalled her to do the same. Serena smiled cheerfully and Delia gave them a warm smile,"Every friend of Ash is my dearest guest. Come inside, lunch is prepared."

Ash had hardly taken a step inside the house when he saw a bouquet lying on the tea table. It was no ordinary bouquet, it was a beautiful Gracidia flowers bouquet, beautifully decorated in a bamboo vase. He recalled his incident with Shaymin. Stifling a laugh and amused grin, he asked his mother,"How come there are gracidia flowers over here? Aren't they native to Sinnoh?"

Delia, who was preparing some fresh pancakes looked up and glanced in his direction. Serena, who was helping Delia looked at him too.

"Oh! They are for you, a friend of yours left them here," she smiled cheerfully. Ash tilted his head sideways,"A friend?"

"Yeah, she is now in Professor Oak's lab. She was freaking out about meeting Professor Oak, whom she calls The Poetry Guy," Delia replied while lowering the heat of the oven.

"She has blue hair?" Ash asked, grinning ear to ear. He knew she was. And he could hardly control his enthusiasm to see her again after such a long time.

"Yes! Pretty blue eyes too," Delia looked at Ash, explaining. All his suspicion were now confirmed. He exclaimed loudly,"I can't believe she is here!" He quickly grabbed his hat which he had placed on the table. Quickly putting it on his messy hair, he ran toward the exit door.

Serena and Delia looked at him in amazement. Bonnie was smirking a little, seeing Ash so psyched up to meet a girl. Clemont was cleaning the water he had spilled hearing Ash's sudden outburst.

"Where are you going Ash?" Serena asked confused, thinking he had gone crazy.

Ash bolted toward the door and grabbed the handle. He quickly opened the door but before running out, he yelled,"To fetch her! I will be back soon!" Serena opened her mouth to say something but he was already gone, the door closing behind him.

"This is impossible!" Clemont said with mouth wide open,"Ash never misses food!" Delia chuckled to herself, then said,"Don't worry, he really misses his friends and I guess is really excited to meet his old friends. As far as I know my son, for him friends and battles comes before food. I am sure he is going to end up calling every person he has once travelled with to inform them about his victory!"

...

* * *

Ash ran with all his might. If Dawn was over here, then there were chances of May and Iris visiting him too. May be Cilan and Brock were with them, waiting to congratulate him. With all these thoughts running through his mind, he couldn't help but have a goofy grin on his face.

He soon saw the red roof of the lab and green grassy field along it. He ran faster. He quickly dashed towards the door. He put a hand on the door while trying to catch his breath. Once he thought he was fine, he twisted the door knob. Entering inside, he called,"Professor Oak? Tracey?"

Silence.

He decided to go inside. He checked the room where Professor and Tracey occasionally used to sit and discuss. He found it empty. Shrugging it off, he decided to check outdoors.

He saw a black haired man feeding some rapidash while occasionally stroking its mane. He spotted a white haired man in lab coat, carefully examining his bayleef. Bayleef, on seeing her master, chirped and ran toward Ash, almost knocking Professor Oak.

Professor Oak turned around to see Ash on the ground, with Bayleef licking his face. He scratched his chin and said, amazed,"She sure likes you Ash. Such an exceptional bond between trainer and Pokémon." Ash freed himself from Bayleef and sat on the ground. Bayleef quickly ran, and Ash assumed she wanted to inform all his other Pokémon that he was back.

Ash stood up and dusted the dirt off his clothes. He readjusted his hat and extended his hand to give professor Oak a handshake,"Nice to see you Professor Oak!"

Professor Oak shook hands and warmly said,"Same to you Ash. And congratulations on winning the Kalos league. The bond with your Greninja is incredible." Ash sweat dropped,"You said the same thing about my Bayleef." Professor nodded,"Point well taken."

"Have you seen any blue haired girl around here?" Ash asked hopefully.

Professor Oak gave him a smile,"You must be talking about Dawn, Johanna's daughter." Ash nodded. Oak pointed toward the southernmost area of the ranch and said,"She is there, with your Sinnoh group of Pokémon. She really wanted to meet them." Ash thanked him and went there. He knew that she would be there, to meet his and her old friends. He picked up pace when he found silhouette of Torterra in his sights. "Almost there!"

He found Dawn playing with Gliscor and her Piplup arguing about something with Quilava. A small smile playing on his lips, he quickly went behind her and tapped her left shoulder. He ducked out of her eye sight before she turned.

"I swear someone tapped me," she said mostly to herself while the Pokémon where giving the duo a amazed look. Ash signalled them to keep quiet.

He tapped her other shoulder and moved away again. Dawn turned around and groaned in frustration,"If you're trying to mess with me, I swear..." She stopped her rant on seeing Ash smiling like an idiot as he did a victory pose with his fingers in V-shape,"Got my revenge!"

Dawn glared at him for a second and then giggled. She raised her hand high in air, and without wasting a moment, he connected his palm with hers, giving her a high five. Since he had gotten a lot taller, he had to bend his hand a little to give a perfect high-touch like old days. Dawn couldn't help but smile like an idiot. He still remembered how she tricked him when she met him in Unova.

Dawn smiled and then congratulated him on his latest victory, Ash proudly and confidently stated,"I will take the whole world by surprise. Elite four, here I come!"

Dawn shook her head amusingly, then a sudden thought crossed her mind. Glancing at Ash, she asked,"Where is Pikachu?''

She witnessed his facial expression changing from surprised to shock within a matter of seconds. Before she could even understand, he screamed,"I FORGOT PIKACHU AT HOME!"

...

* * *

"And this is how we arrived here so fast,"Dawn managed to say between her giggles. Bonnie was looking at the girl with shining eyes. She clasped her hands together and kneeled on one knee in front of Dawn. She extended one hand and in a sing song voice said,"You're a keeper! I want you to take care of my big brother."

Dawn was laughing awkwardly while Serena had a surprised look on her face, Ash burst out laughing. Delia, thinking it was a kid's thing, decided to stay out of it.

Clemont held Bonnie and pulled her away from Dawn. Embarrassed and red in the face, he scolded Bonnie,"How many times have I told you to stop doing it?" He then turned to Dawn and bowed his head in shame,"I apologize for my sister's conduct. I am so sorry." Dawn sweetly smiled and said that it was fine. Bonnie pouted cutely and complained,"She is so pretty and look at her hair style, I really want her to hair-dress me."

Serena gave Bonnie a unreadable expression. But since she was a kid, Serena shrugged it off. Dawn took a look at Clemont and smiled. The lemon haired boy was not that bad, she found him interesting, cute even. Bonnie's proposal rang inside her head and she felt warmth going up in her cheeks.

"Professor Oak and Tracey found a hidden Lake, which they call Pallok Lake over here, we can go there for picnic," Delia suggested. Dawn was glad someone was speaking. For a moment she forgot she was in company.

"But Mrs. Ketchum, it is already midday," Serena pointed out, although she wanted to go to the mysterious lake.

"You kids head there, I will come as soon as I can with the food," Mrs Ketchum said. The group nodded. Delia sadly added,"Moreover, knowing Ash, he will soon leave on a quest."

Ash placed a hand in her shoulder and smiled,"I promise I will stay longer this time."

...

* * *

Ash and the gang were now in Pallok Lake, a lake which connected Hoenn Ocean with Pallet town. The soft gushing sound of water against the pebble as well as the breeze seemed to play a tune on its own. The sun was directly overhead, but the cool sea breeze minimized its intensity.

Pikachu and Piplup were the first one to run to the sandy beach, followed by Dedenne and Bonnie, who were extremely happy. Clemont helped Dawn to spread the blanket as Serena put up the beach umbrella. Then the four of them yanked the loose shirt they were wearing to reveal their swimsuits.

Ash and Clemont were wearing blue and brown half pants respectively while Serena had chosen a pink one piece. Dawn settled for a greenish two piece and tied up her hair in two ponytails.

"Dedenne!" Bonnie cheered,"Lets make a sandcastle!"

"Yup! Lets do that!" Serena smiled and went to Bonnie. Dawn giggled as Ash tried to make a sandcastle only to be washed away by the waves.

Serena was helping Clemont and Bonnie build a sand castle where as the Pokémon were busy playing tag. Seeing a blue light coming from behind a big rock, Ash decided to follow it. Dawn, seeing Ash leave to a lonely place, decided to tag along.

"We should have brought a Pokémon with us," Dawn said, as soon as they were near the rock. Ash signalled her to stay quiet. He poked his head and saw a small blue Pokémon, playing with some other Pokémon of same species. His eyes widened.

After a few seconds, when Ash was still not moving, Dawn peeked and caught a glimpse of the Pokémon. Unable to control her excitement, she squealed in delight,"That is Manaphy and Phione along with Luvdiscs!"

The startled Pokémon gave a loud cry and a blue mysterious light emitting from his body enveloped Ash and Dawn. Their eyes widened for a second and then it closed, their body swayed to and fro and they collapsed on the ground, unconscious, Dawn on top of Ash's back.

..

* * *

 _ **It is quite evident from the summary that Ash and Dawn are going to exchange hearts, unknowingly. And with Serena in the picture, things are bound to get awkward. Stay tuned for the next chapter!**_

 _ **~ darkestlightofhope**_


	2. Chapter 2: Invading Privacy

**Well, another chapter of You Have My Heart.**

 **I took the idea of Ash forgetting Pikachu at home from the episode,'Doc Brock,' where Ash forgot Gliscor. It was just for humour. :) It is rather impossible for him to forget Pikachu at home but, oh well!**

 **I Don't own Pokémon, or anything of that sort!**

 **...**

* * *

Ash stirred slowly, his knee feeling a little swollen due to the fall and his back aching. He groggily opened his eyes, his heart pounding softly against his chest. He was confused why his room felt so different.

His back was feeling a little sore, and he ran his hand over the thin bed sheet. Sensing the change, he muttered,"Wait a second. Mom knows I don't like synthetic bedsheets, so why did she put it?"

He was still lying in the bed, this time staring at the walls around him. He was about to freak out,"I am in my own house and I am here in the guest room? What the-?"

It was not the only thing freaking him out. His head was feeling a little heavier and kind of loaded. He had a tight sensation near his chest area and a missing feeling between his pants. Frustrated, he ran a hand though his hair, which was a lot soft and smooth as compared to what it really used to be.

Sitting up, he gave an irritated sigh," Something is fishy." He took a look at his arms, which were slender and more girlish.

"This can't be happening," he said, scared and ran to the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and laid a hand on where his crotch usually is. A look of pure horror covered his face when he noticed its absence. He turned around and let out a loud scream on seeing his reflection in the mirror.

His hands were shaking and he was speechless. He was muttering words like impossible and I am screwed when he suddenly got an idea.

He quickly came out of the bathroom and hurried to the other end of the corridor. To his room.

He noticed that the door was closed but not locked. Without even knocking, he twisted the knob and entered the room. The room was tidy and there were no structural changes. Ash gave out a relieved sigh,"At least, my room is not girlish."

His eyes were wandering aimlessly, and he was thinking what the heck had happened. His eyes rested on the bed, and his eyes widened. Not because it was occupied, but because the occupant was him. Or his physical body.

Ash slowly rubbed his eyes to ensure he was seeing correct. He slowly approached his bed and sat at the edge, giving a confused yet amused look. He pinched himself, and gave a yelp. This was not a dream, a living and real nightmare.

He slightly shook the sleeping himself and when got no response, shook him harder. The body stirred a little, giving a loud yawn. It slowly opened its eyes and saw a girl sitting beside him.

"I must be seeing things,"The sleepy boy slowly said and rubbed his eyes. Suddenly he placed a hand on his neck and muttered,"Wait a second! My voice sounds masculine!"

"Hey there, Dawn, in my body!" Ash said, a little cheeky. Dawn, who was still looking at the figure in front of her, was speechless.

Dawn unknowingly placed a hand on her chest and gave a yelp. Then, suddenly startled, she got up, knocking herself out of the bed and landed on the floor with a thud.

"Ouch," she painfully muttered while rubbing her head. Or rather, Ash's head.

"Careful, it is my body,"Ash said, in her more feminine voice. Dawn suppressed her urge to laugh, remembering she was in the same condition too.

Dawn got up, still feeling a little pain from the fall. She pointed at Ash and then herself,"How? What! What the heck is this?" Ash gave a defeated sigh and answered,"Must be because of Manaphy. She has the power to swap hearts."

Dawn was eyeing herself or rather Ash curiously,"Really? But how will we get back to normal?" Ash shrugged, causing Dawn to flinch a little, then said,"We have to find Manaphy. Until then, we are stuck."

Dawn was speechless,"But.. I have to take part in contests, Kanto Grand Festival is going to start soon!" Seeing Ash about to say something, she panicked again,"A-And you can finally challenge the elite four now! How are we going to do so in this state?"

Ash was shocked too. He hadn't thought so far, rather he was quite excited about the whole dilemma. Now, when his dream was at stake, he was rather cursing himself for thinking so. His mind was running blank and he said the first thing that occurred in his mind.

"We have to leave soon, to find Manaphy. And we can't tell anyone about what has happened, it will ruin our fame as well as make it difficult for us to travel around."

Dawn nodded, quite surprised that Ash was talking so something sensible. A sick smile crossed her face. She couldn't help but think Ash was behaving a little matured as he was using her brain. "Where do we find Manaphy and what about your Mother and other friends?" She asked.

Ash thought for a while and answered,"Near Cinnabar Island. A herd of Manaphy visits there every year, at this time of the year." He closed his eyes and muttered,"This should stay a secret. My Mom will run to Professor Oak and then boom! It will become latest news or topic of discussion. Clemont, Bonnie and Serena should know nothing about this." Dawn nodded in understanding. This whole thing was uncommon and they didn't need any extra attention because of it!

As Ash got up to leave, he quietly said,"We will leave tomorrow. Pack everything we will need." Dawn nodded before saying,"I will pack my bag, I mean your bag, I mean the bag which you will carry around. Things will be easier that way." Ash just nodded and opened the door. Dawn stopped him,"And, one more thing Ash, Don't dare to come out with that bed head again. One more time and I will kill you!"

Ash nodded and hastily left, not wanting to piss Dawn anymore. He was pissed himself, but didn't want Dawn to do anything to his body, after all, they had to come back to their usual self one day.

...

* * *

As soon as Ash left, Dawn got up from bed and headed to the bathroom. The bathroom was rather simple, having a sink and a cupboard with toiletries. On the left corner of the room was the toilet. She sighed and leaned against the wall, irritated.

"He is a boy afterall, he won't need a bathtub."

She shrugged it off and picked up a comb, wanting to comb her hair. She sighed once again remembering she was stuck with the messed up hair of Ash. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. She picked up the hand shower and grabbed a shampoo bottle.

"I always wanted to clean his hair, well not like this but that's fine!"

She put the things in close proximity and took off the shirt, blushing on seeing how toned it was. She took a big gulp and took off the belt, her fingers lingering on the hook of the pant.

"No big deal, he will be doing the same. We have no other option!" She consoled herself. Making up her mind, she unbuttoned the pant and unzipped it, then knocked it out. She gave an irritated sigh on understanding she still had to get rid of the underwear.

Once she was done taking a shower, her face was as red as a Cherubi. She hastily put on a black shirt and brown trousers she found in his wardrobe. Then combing his hairs, she gave herself a last look in the mirror.

She couldn't help but compliment herself,"Ash is not that shabby afterall. On a closer look he is quiet handsome." A picture of her bathing flashed in her mind and her face turned red due to embarrassment. She made a mental note not to think about it again.

She went downstairs and found Serena and Bonnie brushing their Pancham and Dedenne. Clemont and Dawn, or rather Ash were chatting. Clemont had a blush on his face and Dawn sighed. Of course Ash had forgotten he was now in Dawn's body. And the way he was talking to Clemont, Clemont must have been nervous and getting the wrong idea. She coughed a little to get their attention.

Pikachu jumped at her and she just caught him in time. The little rodent began rubbing his nose on her cheeks, chirping,"Pikapi, Pikachu!" Dawn need not have to be Ash to understand that the poor electric mouse was worried about Ash. "I am fine, Pikachu. Sorry if it worried you."

Ash looked at Dawn, and as soon as he made eye contact, he looked away. Dawn was confused, but she saw Ash blushing a little. She was confused at first but then saw Ash's or her blue hair was wet. Dawn noticed he had changed clothes and had worn a light pink tank top and knee length cerulean blue skirt. A blush crept on her face when she realised Ash had taken a bath and had seen her naked. Just like she had. Her face became redder. She shook her head vigorously, trying to shake off the images from the bath she had taken. She slowly put down Pikachu and smiled as he ran over to Piplup.

"Are you okay Ash? You were unconscious. Did something happen?" Delia asked, who noticed Dawn descending from the stairs.

It took a while for Dawn to understand Delia was referring her. She gave an awkward laugh and hastily muttered,"I am fine, nothing happened, aun- Mom, yeah, Mom, that's it!"

Delia didn't notice something was wrong with Ash or rather didn't think it was that important. Delia suggested to have dinner as it was already too late.

Though Ash was hungry, Dawn's warning rung in his head. She had warned him to eat in limit and slowly if he wanted to keep the cover. After having two bowls of stew, he was going to ask for a third one when Dawn gave him the most strict and scary glare. He stopped. He wondered why his own look was scaring him so much. "I must make sure we swap back so I can eat normally again. I will die due to lack of food if this torture continues for long!" He mentally told himself.

Dawn however, was having a hard time eating. Delia, who knew nothing about the swap had filled her plate with everything with twice the amount. Moreover, the longing glare of Ash on her food was not making it easy for her to eat either. She sighed and regretfully said,"Mom, I can't eat more. Please stop."

"Are you okay Ash? You never ate this less before!" Delia asked, clearly worried. Dawn, not being able to come up with any excuse, managed to say,"I am feeling guilty."

Ash looked at her in amazement. What was she planning?

"You don't have to. I am sure you didn't mean anything bad,"Serena sweetly said, while Dawn gave her a sweet smile of thanks. Thinking Ash smiled at her, Serena could hardly hide her blush.

Clemont asked,"What is it Ash?" Dawn gave a long sigh and uttered,"I have to leave soon. After a hard journey I have won the Kalos league. If I stay at home any longer, I might lose my drive." Dawn looked at Delia and remorsefully narrated,"I am feeling guilty for leaving, oh, sorry, wanting to leave so soon Mom."

The whole place turned quiet. Serena and Bonnie smiled on hearing Ash talk so sensibly where as Ash was amazed how skillfully Dawn managed to bring the topic of leaving soon and skillfully in front of his mother. Dawn just hoped Delia would understand and not make any fuss about her son leaving so soon.

The whole group was waiting for Delia's reply. She was staring at the ground, her bangs covering her eyes. She was neither smiling nor frowning. Ash was worried. He called out,"Are you okay? Mom?"

Dawn blushed hard when Ash accidentally called Delia Mom. Delia didn't notice it however, she said, a small smile forming on her face,"I know my son. Always eager for adventure. I am prepared this time. You can always be sure I will support every decision of your's Ash!"

Ash was somehow relieved on hearing that. Before he could say anything, Dawn hugged Delia and said,"Thanks! Mom!" Ash controlled his emotions, not wanting to mess up like before.

While Clemont and Delia were cleaning the table, Delia discussed the sleeping arrangements,"Well, I am going to sleep in my room. Bonnie can sleep with me. Ash and Clemont can sleep in Ash's room and Dawn and Serena in the guest room."

Ash was about to blurt out something when Dawn said, in a shocked and embarrassed tone,"Can't we all sleep in the Hall? If we move the sofas, we can create much space to accommodate everyone." Ash agreed with her.

Delia gave a sigh and said,"You all will leave first thing in the morning. And I don't want Mr Mime to overwork himself. Moreover you all need sleep, peaceful and comfortable one. So, go according to what I say."

Serena patted Dawn's back, not realising it was Ash,"We will become good friends, you seem to be an amazing person Dawn!" Ash couldn't help but take a gulp. He was dense, he agreed but no man could resist his urge, also when a beautiful blonde would be sleeping right beside him.

Dawn was not doing that good either. She sure had been on a journey with two boys, but never did she share a bed with any of them. Moreover, Clemont was rather cute. Her heart was beating rapidly and she took a look at Ash, who was looking at her too. They both had just one thing in mind,"What do we do now?"

...

* * *

 **Well, I corrected the mistakes I found in this chapter and if you find more, contact me, I will remove them as quick as I can.**

 **I have decided one thing, I will update this story twice a month! Yeah, once in two weeks. It will be Sunday or if I am late, Monday( once in two weeks of course)! I hope I can stick with the routine!**

 **The next chapter will be up on 28th of August!**

 **~ darkestlightofhope**


	3. Chapter 3: Fights?

**Chapter 3**

 **There are a few things I need to make clear, first is, they are best friends now, I mean Ash and Dawn! The only blushing is due to the fact of seeing each other naked, well, sort of! And second is, YOU ALL ARE AWESOME! Am serious! Thanks for all the generous feedback guys!**

 **And, I edited the second chapter, there is an important announcement at the end of the second chapter, be sure to read it!**

 **Well, on with the fic!**

 **\- darkestlightofhope**

 **...**

Ash was currently washing dishes, a job he hated but had to do as, Delia, his mother, had assigned, Dawn the job of doing so. Ash sighed, well, he had to suffer as long as he was stuck in her body.

Dawn, however was wiping the kitchen floor and table, as Delia believed Ash would end up destroying every cutlery if he had to come in contact with any dishes. Dawn sighed too, getting up and placing the cloth in the sink, while Ash groggily washed the dishes.

"What do we do now?" Dawn tiredly asked, leaning against the fridge while facing Ash. She grabbed a clean towel and wiped her hands. Ash grabbed the last plate and began cleaning it. Without turning he replied,"You're done, you can go and take rest." A vein popped in Dawn's forehead.

Clenching her fist, she narrowed her eyes in annoyance and angrily muttered,"You moron! I am talking about where and how to sleep! I can't sleep on the same bed as Clemont!" The plate almost slipped from Ash's hand when he realized what it meant. Washing his hands, he turned and took the towel from her, concern painted on his face.

Dawn was still waiting for an answer, her eyes narrowed and cheeks puffed. Without thinking, Ash commented,"Stop doing it, you make me look like an idiot." Dawn relaxed a little and let out a long sigh,"Ash, we are screwed up."

"Tell me something new," Ash said and pointed toward the stairs,"And we need to go. Otherwise, Clemont and Serena will suspect something." Understanding what he meant, Dawn shook her head vigorously, muttering,"Geez! Nonsense!"

A little offended, Ash silently questions,"And what is that supposed to mean?" Taken, by surprise, Dawn smirked and playfully added,"Who will want to be introduced as your girlfriend? You pesky little cat!"

Now completely annoyed, Ash turned and grit his teeth,"Don't forget am still stuck inside you, I can do anything I want!" Dawn let out an amused laugh, almost mocking him,"I have your body too, blockhead!"

Swaying his head in anger, he muttered,"Devil! I can't believe I have to go through the pain of travelling with you again." Dawn, for a second was speechless. Her mind was blank and she couldn't come up with a proper comeback. Was travelling with her was really a pain for him?

Sensing Dawn quiet, Ash smirked and in a sing-song voice, almost trying to imitate Dawn's way of speaking, mocked her,"I better get going! My present travelling partner, Serena is much more well behaved than you Blueberry. You can learn some decency from her perhaps."

A vein popped on her forehead again and her eyes became red with anger. Gritting her teeth and tightly gripping the end of the shirt she was wearing, she muttered, making sure Ash would hear,"You foulmouthed moron! I can't believe it, you really hated the time we travelled together, right! Well, the same goes for me! I would have won the grand festival if you wouldn't have entered my life!" She turned away, still angry and annoyed. She thought Ash's head was going to blow up due to all the anger swelled inside her. She was a little amused at the thought but then shook her head, Ash had not said anything yet.

With the backs turned against each other, they couldn't help but feel a little guilty on replaying the conversation back in their head. Dawn's grip on the shirt increased and she scolded herself,' _That was a bit too much, you shouldn't have said that. But he, he annoyed me first! I didn't start the fight! Who am I kidding, I started to piss him off, of course he will be offended if I don't acknowledge him as a boyfriend, he relies on my opinion more than anything!'_

Ash's face was red with annoyance as well as a little frustration. He hadn't meant a word he had said but once she started answering him back, it fuelled his desire more. It was a playful comeback at first but soon turned into a heated argument. _'She pushed me away with that comment of hers_ ,' he consoled his heart, knowing he himself hadn't done a thing to make up.

She took a last breath and thought _,'He didn't me stay. And_ _still, he_ _doesn't want to make me stay either_.' And with that she walked away, not understanding what the other actually felt.

Once Dawn was gone, Ash took a deep breath and ran a hand over his head, as an attempt to calm himself down. Feeling the smoothness of her hair, he couldn't help but smile. ' _Strawberries,'_ he thought, while ascending the stairs,' _Strawberry shampoo_.'

Once he was outside the guest room, he placed a hand in the door knob and took a deep breath. Sleeping on the same bed with Serena? Never in his wildest dreams had he thought about that.

 _'No need to worry! She believes I am Dawn, and all I have to do is to make sure I don't blow my cover,_ ' he mentally made a note to himself.

He twisted the door knob and slowly poked his head inside. However, his eyes widened on seeing the sight in front of him.

Serena was in her night gown, a purple one piece which ended just above her mid thigh, her blonde hair was in a ponytail, exposing her back a little. The clothing clinged to her like second skin, making her curves more prominent. She was sitting at the edge of the bed, eyes closed and looking lost in thought. She almost looked like an angel, bathing in moonlight, on a blooming flower in a garden during spring.

Ash quickly closed the door and placed a hand on his pounding heart. However on realising he was interfering with Dawn's private organs, he quickly removed it and shook his head, trying to calm himself down.

 _'What a pain! Inside Serena is looking so.. So divine and here I am, having to share the same bed as hers! Heck! She thinks I am Dawn so didn't bother putting on something less revealing!"_

Ash took a deep breath and calmed himself down. Then again taking a deep breath, he opened the door and entered the room, closing the door behind him. Then turning around he found Serena, smiling sweetly at him.

"Nice to meet you in person Dawn!" She cheerfully welcomed him. Ash was a little awkward but took a seat at the edge of the bed, looking away from her,"Hey Serena." His voice was lacking happiness and joy as compared to when they first had met. Thinking it was fatigue, she shrugged it off.

"I can't wait to see what Pokémon you have with you,"Serena tried to start a conversation. Ash took a gulp and slowly muttered,"Piplup is there with Pikachu, sleeping downstairs. For the rest of my team, you will meet them at the Pokémon Centre in next town." Ash almost hoped Dawn would help him exchange their Pokémon. They had to keep their cover after all. However after the recent fight, he was not sure anymore.

Serena shifted on the bed and Ash's heart beat increased. He didn't even look back to see what was going on.

Placing a hand on Ash's forehead, Serena asked,"Are you ok? You seem a little disturbed Dawn." Ash couldn't help but smile. The girl had just met the Coordinator and was still so caring. Ash said, a little relieved,"Am better."

"Well, why don't you go and change? We need to sleep to be able to wake early,"Serena suggested and Ash nodded his head. He picked up an old white tank top and a pink shorts and headed to the bathroom.

After arriving, he saw Serena sitting on the same place. Taking a gulp, he sat beside her. Sensing Dawn's nervousness, Serena asked, a little concerned,"Something is bothering you."

"No need to worry! It is nothing," Ash faked a smile. His heart was beating rapidly and he didn't know whether he would be able to keep the hormones in control. Moreover, Serena was not interested in girls, he knew that. If he did something, Serena would surely think of Dawn as a freak. No matter how angry he was at the moment, he couldn't allow someone to think something which Dawn was not.

"Both of you look so comfortable with each other,"Serena said, out of the blue. Ash was surprised,"Me and umm...Ash?" Serena nodded her head.

"Where did you get the idea from?"

"The way both of you can talk without hesitation. Whenever I try to talk to him about something, I can't. My stomach starts hurting and I feel like I am going to explode," Serena said, embarrassed.

Ash was speechless, did Serena really felt that uncomfortable around him?

Shaking the negative thoughts, he consoled her,"You're wrong, you're just as precious to him as I am. I am sure you're a great girl who cherishes her friends. Ash would love to talk to you. So, stop thinking he hates you Serena!''

Feeling relieved, Serena let out a happy sigh and threw her arms around him, happily chanting,"You think he might like me?"

Ash was taken by surprise. His senses betrayed him and he unknowingly asked,"You like...?"

Serena broke the hug and Ash was a little relieved. He wasn't feeling very comfortable with Serena's breast pressed against his own, or rather Dawn's.

"Yeah, he was the reason why I even started my journey."

...

Dawn was still fuming with anger. She angrily twisted the door knob and banged the door behind her, but not surprising Clemont who was busy searching something in his bag.

Dawn felt colour rush to her cheeks and she felt her heart beating rapidly. Clemont was just in his boxers, with a cute bunnelbee cap on his blonde hair. He was not as tanned as Ash was, rather pale, a little skinny and weak. However, his physical form added more to his charm and his intelligence made up for the lack of physical strength. He was definitely more cute without his glasses.

Sensing Ash's presence behind him, Clemont asked, still searching for something,"Did you see it?"

Dawn was confused. She blinked once and asked,"What?"

"The thing I sleep with?" Clemont asked, striding across the room to take a look beneath the bed. Dawn was puzzled,"No, I didn't." Although she had no idea about what he was talking about. She picked up a trouser and vest and went for changing.

While undressing herself, she couldn't help but replay the bathing scene in front of her eyes. Cursing herself, she quickly came out. Clemont was now sitting on the bed, a happy expression on his face. Dawn asked,"You got what you were looking for right?" Clemont nodded and swirled the teddy bear around and cheerfully squealed,"Yeah! I can't sleep without it! My Mr. Chubby!''

Dawn was speechless. She closed her eyes and opened it in quick succession. Was that boy serious?

Without saying a word, she sat on the edge of the bed, facing away from him.

"However, just some time more and I won't need this!" Dawn heard Clemont say happily. She curiously asked,"What for?"

Dawn heard Clement shift on the bed and then saw him coming in front of her. His goofy expression was sending chills down her spine.

"That old companion of yours is such a thing!"

Wait. What? Dawn rose up to face him properly. A little shocked she asked,"What do you mean?"

Clemont's expression turned into a sick one. Rubbing his torso, he boldly said,"Something in me wants to be inside her."

Dawn was shocked beyond belief! The man had the audacity to say something so cheap on her face. Clenching her fists, she nearly barked out of anger,"Mind your language Clemont!"

Clemont gave a sly smile and patted Ash's back,"Ahh! Possessive? Well, tell me how is she in bed?"

Dawn couldn't hold it any longer, she pushed him away, making Clemont crash on the bed. Clemont harshly said,"Just look at the length of the skirt of that slut! She is asking for it, no need to be so rude. Am sure you fucked her every time and opportunity you got! She even called your mother Mom today. I thought you both did it."

Dawn's eyes widened and without even thinking, she landed a sharp slap on his right cheek then again on his left. She cursed Ash for the tongue slip. But now, her main focus was on the cheap minded guy in front of her. She was about to hit him again when she angrily muttered,"Never thought you will have these thoughts! She is my best friend and you know Ash, he will never do such a thing. Even if he had any opportunity to do so, he is not as low as you think him to be!"

Clemont was surprised by the tone of Ash's voice. Moreover, he was speaking as if he was not Ash, someone else. He was confused but that didn't stop him from asking,"Why are you supporting her anyway? And it is not that I am wrong, she sure is quite a catch." Dawn clenched her fist again, and with all her might landed a punch on his stomach.

Although he was bruised, Clemont couldn't help but smirk a little,"Come on Ash! Don't be such a good man. You couldn't make a move on Serena since you were so dense. Moreover, I have to admit this Dawn is much better than Serena. Well, don't know who is good in bed though."

Dawn had had enough, she landed another kick on his stomach, making Clemont growl in pain.

She got up, angrily muttering,"You scumbag! Moron like you don't deserve to live! I can't believe Bonnie is your sister. I would have thrown you out for saying such a thing about Dawn and Serena, but it is beyond my control. The only thing good about you is NOTHING!"

Clemont waved his hands frantically,"Ash what has gotten into you? Did you forget..." He was unable to complete the sentence as Dawn gave him the most scary look ever, angrily muttering,"Shut up!"

She closed the door behind her and didn't even wait for any response. Who was the boy to test her modesty, purity and character? Does dress define who and what you're? Does the length of your skirt define your character? Does travelling with male friends make a girl slut?

She descended down the stairs and went to the living room, her eyes watery due to insult she had unconsciously got. Her heart was burning with hatred for the guy. She couldn't believe she thought the man to be well behaved and modest. She noticed Piplup and Pikachu sleeping peacefully on a mattress spread on the floor.

After what had happened, she was surely not going back in that room. Making up her mind, she laid beside Piplup, hoping to get some sleep. Meanwhile, another thought stuck her, what was she going to tell Ash? How would she tell him about that scumbag? Moreover, what would prove that Ash has not become as low a bastard as Clemont?

With that thoughts in mind, she fell asleep, her hand stroking Piplup's cute face.

...

"You went on a journey because of Ash?" Ash silently asked, gaining a nod from Serena. His mind was running blank and he felt heat rise to his face. _Am I blushing_? He silently asked himself. His inner voice screamed _,'Yeah, she confessed to you without her even knowing it. You better think about how to reply if she ever confesses!'_

Serena laid on the bed, facing Dawn and pulled a blanket over her chest. She gave a small sigh and then a yawn,"Sleep must be consuming me. Today was an amazing day! We will catch up tomorrow!''

Ash laid on the bed, maintaining some distance from the blonde. He closed his eyes and within a minute, heard a loud squeal.

Half opening his eyes, he looked over to see Serena staring at him curiously. Conscious, he asked,"What?"

Serena gave him a blank face,"Are you sure you wanna sleep in that thing?"

Confused, he asked what she meant.

Serena pointed at Ash's chest and let out a sigh,"In your bra I mean. You should not sleep with a bra on."

Ash wasn't prepare for this. He was silent for a while. He thought before answering,"It is comfortable?" It was more a question to himself than to her. Dawn hadn't said anything about that!

Serena's eyes sparkled a little and she scooped over to Dawn, almost knocking him out of bed. She curiously asked,"Which brand is it? Mine gives me itches if I fall asleep in them!"

Ash was trembling and shaking. He wasn't prepared for this. He slyly answered,"I don't know."

Serena placed a hand on Dawn's shoulder and pulled the strap a little,"Well, it sure is elastic." Before Ash could shove her hands away, Serena pulled the top of the tank top down a little and then let it go.

''Victoria secrets I see!" She happily replied and went back to her usual seat. Seeing Dawn quiet, she blushed a little and regretfully said,"Sorry, I got carried away. Being on a journey with such a small kid like Bonnie and two helpless male kinds of gets problematic. I can hardly discuss anything personal." She continued,"So, I thought, we can..you know..share such things."

Ash nodded once and said,"Yeah. Right." He was screaming for freedom inside.

Ash was glad he didn't have to answer anything else as Serena was inside her sheet once more. Faking a yawn, he got up and went to the door, intending to go out. She noticed Serena was half asleep and smiled,"Am going to get some water. Good night. Don't wait for me."

Serena just hmmed in reply and he understood she had fallen asleep. Relieved he went downstairs.

It was already past midnight and the room was pitch black. However due to his reflexes, he was sure where Pikachu was sleeping.

"I can't sleep in the same room as her, it will be dishonest and purely awkward," he silently muttered and noticed a streak of yellow ball on the mattress on the floor.

He silently went near it and sat down, relieved. Staying near Pikachu always calmed him down. Then lying beside him, he closed his eyes and drowned himself in sleep. Being a girl, he sighed and cursed himself. Things were only starting to mess up.

...

 **I know, I know, clemont is way too out of character! But, his behavior in this chapter reminds me of an old friend of mine, well he was not as creepy but almost as perverted as Clemont was in this chapter! The only difference is that that man is good at heart and** **respects girls!**

 **And sorry pearlshippers out there, you will have to wait a little to witness some pearlshipping moments! I** **promise, the first kiss will be between Ash and Dawn, well first date, don't know yet.**

 **Arigato for reading the chapter! Read, review and favourite!**

 **Next update 15th of** **September(hopefully)** **or later... Exams are coming up 😭**

 **~ darkestlightofhope**


	4. Chapter 4: Friends again

**Chapter 4**

Ash was never an early riser. And so was Dawn. But both of their Pokémon were. Luckily, Pikachu and Piplup were the ones who had woken up first.

Rubbing his dreamy eyes, Piplup gave a long yawn, morning tears forming at the bridge of his eyes. He felt a strong arm on its torso and following the trail found Ash's hand on him. He was a little confused at first as Dawn always used to put her arm around him like that.

He rolled over to see Pikachu resting comfortably on his Master's chest. Fury and jealously filled him from inside and he quickly shot a beam of bubbles at Pikachu.

Startled by the sudden attack, Pikachu woke up and on instinct shot a large thunderbolt in the attackers direction. Since he was still half asleep, the attacked missed by a centimetre but the person beneath him was not that lucky.

Ash suddenly woke up with a start, making Pikachu to fall from his chest. His blue hair was now sticking in all direction with smoke coming out from his mouth, he was burned beyond recognition. He puffed out some smoke from his lungs and taking a deep breath, scolded Pikachu,"How many times do I have to tell you, stop doing it. Someday I am going to be extremely hurt!"

With confusion plastered over the Pokemon's face, Ash wondered what was wrong. His eyes trailed to the sleeping body of Dawn or rather his physical self and he suddenly realized what had happened.

In his sleep, he had accidentally cuddled with Pikachu. Piplup got angry as he thought Dawn was giving more attention to Pikachu and was jealous. So he attacked to wake them up making Pikachu attack in his sleep. He sighed heavily and with tired voice said," Forget it, why don't you both go out and play?"

Pikachu literally dragged Piplup out from the house, not understanding the fact why Dawn screamed at him like that. He was confused and so was Piplup, who was looking at Dawn with wide eyes. Ash understood he had messed up, Pokémon are too sensitive to any change and it won't be a long time before the two starters find out. They hurried outside, thus leaving a sleeping Dawn in Ash's body and Ash in a messed up condition, hair sticking out wildly and face looking burnt. What a start to a day.

He was not sure what Dawn was doing outside. He poked her arm, a little roughly, with an attempt to wake her up. She was half asleep due to the commotion and with that poke, woke up, rubbing her eyes, trying to understand what was going on.

Her first reaction was a angry face and she angrily grit her teeth,"I told you, don't show me that face..uugh, my face with this bed head! And why is my face looking so stupid Ketchum?"

Ash waved his hands frantically to imply he was not at fault. Defending himself he said,"In my sleep I cuddled with Pikachu and when Piplup woke up, thinking I was Dawn got angry and attacked."

Dawn gave him a smirk,"Piplup can't use any attack which will burn your face like that. You lousy boy."

Ash sighed,"Stupid, it was Pikachu. He attacked in self defence and I was caught in that vortex."

Dawn nodded her head in understanding. She got up and stretched a little, feeling a little sore due to sleeping on the hard ground. Ash did the same.

Dawn, while fixing the end of Ash's old shirt she was wearing, said,"Well, I think Clemont may be a little angry today."

Ash jerked up his head,"Why?"

"I slapped him pretty hard."

Ash was taken aback. "Why?"

"He said some bad things. Umm. Very bad," Dawn confessed. She couldn't understand why she was feeling bad though.

Ash took a deep sigh,"About your dress or something?"

"You know?"

"He looks like an innocent and dense boy where in reality, he is a deep pervert. He was just messing around, he wasn't serious," Ash explained.

Dawn bit her lip and nervously said,"He made some rash comments Ash."

Ash shook her head, trying to fix the tangled mess which Dawn called hair,"Don't worry about it. It is normal. He doesn't mean any harm. He has a crush on Serena and thinking she is into stud and bold boys, is trying to be like that. It is awkward that he tries to be like that, doesn't suit him. He said something to Korrina, just for making Serena a little jealous and you won't believe what we had to go through because of that."

"You could have told me earlier,"Dawn sheepishly said,"But I was convinced he is a cheap minded pervert though!"

"You were?" Ash asked, surprised.

"Yeah..."

"But what did he say to piss you off so much?" Ash asked confused,"our chats just include commenting on hairstyle and eating habits. Rarely he jokes about being a man and all but that is natural. You will understand him better if you spend some more time. Forget that, what has he done now?!"

Feeling heat rising to her cheeks, she quickly asked,"What are you doing here? You were supposed to be sleeping in Serena's room, right?"

Ash could hardly contain his blush, he couldn't help but feel the tingling sensation in his head when he imagined what had happened. The feeling of Serena touching him unknowingly was something he was not used to. Trying to get out of the mess, he quickly said,"We should go before someone spots us. I have packed everything we need and I hope you have to. We will exchange our bags after dinner."

As Ash turned to leave, Dawn commented,"Don't forget you have to go to Serena's room."

Almost forgetting he had swapped body, he mentally thanked Dawn but trying to save his pride, huskily said,"I know that."

Once he was out of sight, she couldn't help but comment while smiling,"I know you had forgotten Ash."

She had a mess to fix. May be Ash was correct?

She found Clemont packing his bag and found Ash's room to be pretty clean. Trying to get his attention, she said,"Umm. Clemont?"

Clemont turned around and then without paying any importance to the boy behind him, continued with his work.

"Look Clemont, am sorry. I lost my control when you said such things about her," Dawn slowly said, getting his attention,"And I have something to tell you." Dawn crossed her fingers, bracing herself for the output. But she had to fix the friendship between them, after all, she caused the mess.

"What?"

She flinched. Ash was right perhaps. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself down.

"Don't try to be someone you're not. If you don't accept yourself as who you're, how can you expect others to accept you?"

Clemont turned to face Ash. His eyes were showing mixed emotions. He was confused but eager to listen what Ash had to say.

Dawn continued,"Try being yourself Clemont. You're one of a kind, special and irreplaceable. Treat yourself with dignity. What is the use of the change which makes others like you? If you change again, may be the other will stop liking you!"

"Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Dawn asked, confused.

"I mean. I think you're right. I should not go through a makeover to make other accept me. Well, I didn't knew you were that sensible Ash," Clemont praised and enveloped Dawn in a hug. Though Dawn felt a little awkward, she hugged him a little, trying to calm herself as best as possible.

Clemont broke the hug and cheekily said,"But I must say, you're lucky. You get to travel with such pretty ladies."

"Haha," Dawn awkwardly smiled and rubbed her temple. Last night's fight with Ash played in her head,' _I can't believe I have to go through the pain of travelling with you again_.' Ash's words were still ringing in her ears. A silent sigh escaped her lips, _'I have to go away as fast as I can. Don't want to trouble him enough. There is no use of staying somewhere I am not welcomed_.'

 _..._

"Bye Mom," Dawn said, trying to look as miserable as Ash would have looked while going on a new journey. It was not that difficult. All she had to think was she was saying goodbye to her own Mom.

Ash was feeling a little uneasy, seeing his own Mom behaving so well and close with his own friends. What troubled him more was that his Mom didn't even recognize it was not the real Ash. He sighed silently.

"I hope you could have stayed longer Ash. Moreover, Dawn, Serena and Clemont are visiting Kanto for the first time. They deserve to have a long stay," Delia said, trying to convince her son.

Dawn inwardly smiled when she realized how Delia was using sweet talks to make her son say. Well, being a girl, she was well aware of the tactics. But they have to leave, otherwise the herd of Manaphy might go away. It will create more problem then.

"No Mom. Don't do that to me. It will break my heart if you say all these," Dawn tried to reason. Delia smiled and pulled her into a hug,"My Ashy. You don't know how much you make me proud."

Clemont was witnessing the scene with happiness. Seeing Ash busy with his Mom and Serena and Bonnie busy with each other, he slowly poked Dawn's shoulder. Ash, who wasn't expecting this, was quiet surprised.

"Sorry," he whispered when Ash faced him.

Although Ash had guessed something had happened, he tried to play along,"For what?"

"I said some pretty bad things about you. They were so ugly that even Ash was pissed," he said, his legs a little shaky. Ash encouragingly smiled,"As long as you don't mean it, it is perfectly fine!"

"Bye Mom!" Dawn's voice broke their talk. Thanking Delia for allowing them to stay, the group went on their way. Their first stop, Pewter City.

...

"This is where we say goodbye," Clemont said as soon as they reached the fork in the road which separated Pewter City from Pallet Town. Bonnie was sad and hung tightly to Serena.

"But I don't wanna leave so soon brother!" Bonnie said between sobs. Clemont bend down and ran a hand through her hair,"We have to go. Lumiose Gym needs me. And don't forget, Ash has to come to Kalos to challenge the Elite Four. We will meet then." Bonnie was not at all satisfied with the answer.

Serena comforted her,"And I will be back in a week or so. I just wanna explore Kanto more!" Bonnie, with cute puppy eyes asked,"Promise?" Placing a kiss on her cheek, Serena smiled,"Promise!"

"Have a safe journey," Ash said, but others thought it was Dawn. Dawn, understanding she had to say something Ash would say in the situation said,"I will surely miss your food Clemont! And best of luck with you know what!"

Clemont blushed like a red cherry and then, with Bonnie left after promising to meet again.

...

"So? Pewter City is near?" Serena said tiredly, wiping the sweat form her forehead,"I am so tired!"

Before Ash could answer, Dawn said,"Just a little more. Then we will have the comfort of sleeping in a Pokémon Center." They were both amazed at how well they were keeping up the act. It had hardly been two days and they felt like they had been stuck inside each other for years.

"So Dawn? Last night you didn't come back. Anything happened?" Serena asked. Ash froze in his tracks and took a glance at Dawn who was also eyeing him nervously.

"No," Ash said,"Nothing at all. I just found Pik..Piplup sleeping downstairs and then fell asleep near him," Ash said while scratching his head. Serena nodded,"I haven't seen your team still." Ash thanked himself for exchanging their Pokémon before they headed off.

"We will see them in the evening, while putting up our tent," Ash said,"I haven't seen them in such a long time."

"What?" Serena asked, confused.

"Its nothing," Ash said. Dawn was staring blankly at the road ahead of hers. Serena was talking to her but still not talking to her. She adjusted Ash's cap on her head and silently massaged her aching shoulder upon which Pikachu was seated.

"Pika?"

"Its nothing Pikachu, just a little pain," Dawn said, looking at the rodent walking in front of her. She wondered why she was feeling so much of pain. Was it because she felt carrying Pikachu was a job which needs much strength. The little rodent didn't seem that heavy but carrying a constant weight must feel a little strained.

"You seen quiet Ash," Serena worriedly asked. It took a while for Dawn to register she was being addressed.

"Am a little hungry," she said, half lying.

"Then let us put up our camp here, this part of the Viridian Forest doesn't have much Pokémon," Ash said while putting down the yellowish bag pack on the green ground. Others did the same.

They spend the next one hour finding twigs, setting up camp fire, boiling water, making stew and serving the Pokemon with food.

Once Ash released Dawn's Pokémon, he was enveloped in a crushing hug, making him lose his balance and fall on the ground. He was not at all bothered. In fact, he was enjoying himself. Dawn was watching him from a distance. She did the same and released all the Pokémon. However, she didn't even see a familiar face, except Pikachu's.

"Fine! Go and eat guys!" She announced. However, on getting her chance, she asked Ash,"How am I supposed to train with them? I haven't even seen any Pokémon like this before!"

Ash hadn't thought about this. He said,"Fine, I will switch my Pokémon and I will tell you what attacks they can use. That way, you won't mess up!"

She crossed her arms and grunted,"For your kind information, my Pokémon have learned new moves too!" Ash sighed in defeat,"Fine, we will teach each other. Like old times."

"Like old times?" Dawn asked, confused. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Serena brushing her Buneary, who seemed to be enjoying the sensation. Pachirirsu was standing in line too.

"Yeah, anything wrong with it?"

"We didn't teach each other. It was mostly me, taking inspiration from you," Dawn confessed.

"You taught me a lot of things too, stupid," he said smiling.

"I didn't. I was a newbie, you had already been on a journey before meeting me," she proved her point. Ash stared at her face, smiling in amusement,"Well, who taught me the Ice-Aqua Jet?"

"You modified it. I just came up with the idea," she tried to reason.

"But you, you came up with the awesome move. Also the spin and dodge technique," he stated like it was a universal truth.

She silently said,"But.."

"There is not but Dawn. You are awesome and each of your moves are original. Don't be so low on confidence level," Ash said while staring at the sky.

"So, you don't regret travelling with me?" She finally asked.

"My god! It is still bothering you?" Ash sheepishly scratched his head. Dawn said,"Don't make me look like a fool. You said it quite seriously.''

"When did you become so serious? I thought you were kidding too!" Ash asked, holding back his laughter. Dawn's face heated up in embarrassment. She kicked him on his right leg and looked away,"Does that makes us friends again?"

Ash stopped laughing and rubbed his leg,"You will hurt yourself if you hit me."

"You blockhead!"

"Fine, am sorry!"

And then they burst out laughing.

The Pokémon were quite amused on seeing their partners laughing and teasing each other. Buneary, who noticed Pikachu, couldn't help but blush and scoop closer while hiding her face in her fur. Pikachu was scratching his head, a little embarrassed but happy to be united with his old friends.

"That's cute! Someone has a crush on you it seems Pikachu!" Serena giggled.

...

Ash was shifting uncomfortably in his sleeping bag, slowly grunting and moaning in pain. 'Not good,' he mumbled to himself. Seeing Piplup sleeping beside his sleeping bag, he let out a long sigh and scratched his head. Serena was sleeping in her own tent and so was Dawn. Getting up and unlocking the zipper of his tent, he got out.

Dawn was having a weird dream. She was smiling in her sleep and occasionally said,'Just spin and dodge, don't let the ice beam hit you!'

Pikachu, who was woken up from sleep due to her constant talks, gave her a little electric shock, making her sit up straight.

"Why? I was having such a beautiful dream," Dawn said, scratching her head. Pikachu gave a victorious smirk and laid down in its previous spot.

'He is spoiled. So much like Piplup,' she mumbled under her breath. She laid down again and closed her eyes, only to open them in quick succession,'Not good. I can't fall asleep so soon.'

Getting up, she put on a jacket and went outside, not bothering to put on her shoes. Ash's shoes were hurting her a little, the shoes were probably old. 'How does he walk in it? I am getting new ones once I reach pewter city.'

She had hardly gotten out when she found Ash sitting on the grass, mumbling to himself. It was quite hilarious, watching herself complaining like it on middle of the night. She quietly giggled to herself, this experience was really going to stay engraved in her memories.

"What are you doing here?" She asked Ash once she approached him.

He looked up with horror and pain written in his eyes. He quietly mumbled and played with his petite fingers.

Dawn let out a sigh of annoyance,"If you don't say anything, how am I going to understand what's going on?''

"Am sorry."

"What for?"

"I think I have hurt you unknowingly. It is bleeding down there and the pain, though little, is still there," he said, face buried in his knees.

It didn't take Dawn too long to understand what had happened. She couldn't help but laugh at Ash's innocence and cluelessness.

"What's so funny? You might be hurt!" He finally looked up.

Dawn scooped closer to him and muffled his hair. Even though he was a boy, Dawn admitted he had taken good care of her hair. She smiled and said,"Relax. You're just having my period."

"Your what? I don't understand." Ash stared with a blank face.

"Dumbo, every month, a girl has to go through this. You can say, it is a process which makes a girl a woman," she explained.

"That's stupid. How can losing blood be a way of maturing?"

"You're really hopeless. This is a physiological process, we can't help it," Dawn explained.

"I quit. How to get rid of it?"

"The thing is, you have to bear with it for a few days. It will eventually stop," Dawn giggled once more. She hadn't imagined she will have this type of talk with Ash out of all people. Explaining a rock would have been easier.

"What the!" He gasped while facepalming.

"Go, look in the bag. I have kept some sanitary napkins," she said while getting up. Ash followed her lead and got up.

"But, how do I use them?" He asked, confused. Dawn looked away to hide her embarrassed face,"Geez. Just read the instructions. They are written in every pack!" She broke into a run to avoid more conversations.

"What the hell?" He said once she was gone.

He exactly did that and searched in his bag, finally finding the thing hidden below her pile of clothes. He took out one and then with his other hand turned the packet to read the instructions.

His face paled and he silently muttered,"This is torture!"

...

"Are you okay?" Dawn asked Ash when they were finally on their way to the Pewter Gym. Ash whispered, to make sure Serena doesn't overhear anything,"This is so.. Uggh. I can't walk in this thing!"

Dawn silently giggled,"Just three more days. You will survive! And stop pulling that skirt. You will tear it!"

"I can't help but feel anyone will peek," he said.

"You're doing so yourself!" She said, more like a joke than insult.

"I don't have a choice here, right! But walking in it is quite comfortable," he admitted.

"Yup! And we are close to the Pewter Gym, Right?" She asked.

"We are!" He said and turned around to announce.

"This is the Pewter Gym, Brock's home!"

"You sure are excited Dawn!" Serena happily said. Ash blushed, not realizing what he had done,"Well, I am kind of excited to meet Brock!" He covered up.

Dawn knocked on the wooden door of the Gym while Ash stood beside her.

Serena was behind them, pulling her clothes nervously.

 _"They seem so close. Last night, they were out, talking and smiling so much. Ash was so close to her face once. And now, they chat as if they have something important going on. I am almost left behind. If I don't do something, I might lose Ash beyond recovery. I have to make him notice me!''_

 _..._

 **Excited? About what Serena has in mind? I sure am! Stay tuned and keep reviewing! You all are awesome!**

 **Next chapter may be October 20th or somewhere near that!** **And check out my other story,"The Story Of Us!"**

 **~ darkestlightofhope**


	5. Chapter 5: Should I be Sorry?

**You Have My Heart**

 **Chapter 5**

...

"You're kidding right?" Ash exclaimed loudly, making everyone sweatdrop. Serena placed a hand on Dawn's shoulder to calm her down,"Chill Dawn! It's okay, I am sure Ash is as disappointed as you're." Ash, understanding she was referring to him, gave a sigh and muttered,"Right."

Dawn, sighed a little at his childish behaviour and smiled a little at the kids standing in front of her. She said,"So Brock is at Saffron City for a special and interesting case huh? Man, I was so excited to meet him!"

A heavily tanned boy with small eyes smiled,"Welcome Ash! And you must be Dawn!"

Ash smiled,"You have grown so much Forrest!"

Forrest gave him a weird smile,"You know who I am?" Dawn, understanding Ash had messed up again, gave a weird laugh,"Ah Forrest, Brock had shown us your as well as his other siblings pictures while we were in Sinnoh, so of course Dawn remembers you!"

Forrest gave an unsatisfied look,"Oh, he did? So nice of him."

Serena was watching all the commotion with interest. She couldn't help asking,"So, since Brock is not here, what should we do?"

Dawn quickly said,"The next contest is in Cerulean, we must go to Cerulean next!" Serena, thinking it was Ash, gave a weird look,"You're quiet resourceful about contest Ash. You never kept any information about any of my performances." Dawn, not understanding what to reply, scratched her head, knocking out Ash's cap from her head in the process,"My bad I guess?"

Forrest and Brock's other siblings laughed and hugged Ash, making Dawn squeal in happiness. Having such lovely siblings, Brock sure was lucky.

"We are not allowing you to go anywhere Ash! Even though Brock is not here, we are! Please stay, for a day!"

Dawn, too sweet to turn down such an cute offer happily said,"Sure!"

"What about us?" The real Ash asked jokingly.

Liya, Brock's youngest sister eyed Dawn curiously and then with sparkling eyes said,"Your hairs are so pretty! I wonder why you're not there in Brock's diary of famous girls." Serena scoffed, feeling neglected. Liya, on noticing Serena, squealed loudly,"Yippie! A blonde!"

"Hey everyone!" Serena finally greeted the kids.

"Our parents are not at home either, so, I have to take the initiative,"Forrest said,"And I want everyone of you to stay here! And Ash, let's have a battle!"

Dawn, now finding herself in a tricky situation nodded,"Sure! Just a one on one match!"

"Done!"

...

Dawn was standing on one end of the battle field, Pikachu standing on his all fours, beside her. The truth is, she was nervous. She had battled many trainers before, even challenged Maylene of Veilstone Gym, but now, she had to fight with Ash's Pokémon. Ash was now a league winner, so she couldn't afford to loose.

 _'Pikachu can use quick attack, thunderbolt, electroball and iron tail,_ ' she mentally said,' _and I don't know how any other Pokémon of his battles. Damn him for keeping his Kalos Team with him still! I have no other choice but use Pikachu_.'

Taking a deep breath, Dawn called out,"Let's do this Pikachu!"

Meanwhile, Ash's decision surprised everyone. Forrest couldn't help but ask,"I know you have won the league Ash, but challenging a rock type gym with an electric type?"

Dawn's eyes widened. She cursed under her breath _,'I can't even use any other Pokémon!'_

"I am going to keep Pikachu," Dawn said while calming herself down. In the bleachers, Serena sighed,"Typical Ash, not caring about type disadvantages.'' Ash stared at her,"Hmm."

Serena glanced at Ash and asked,"Dawn?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you feel about Ash?" Serena silently asked. Ash's breath stopped for a moment. "Why do you ask?"

Serena looked away, seeing Forrest pull out a pokeball to release Golem.

"It is just that, you both seem so close, almost as if you both know each other inside out. You know Dawn, Ash never talked so freely with me, never but with you, it seems that he is so comfortable around you," she said.

"Are you jealous?" Ash asked the first thing that came to his mind.

"May be. But I know, your presence ruined my chances to get closer to him. I can't help but envy you."

"You don't have any reason to envy me. We both are best friends, nothing more. I don't think there will be anything more between us," Ash slowly said, thinking about his past Sinnoh journey. He couldn't help but admit his Sinnoh Journey was the best one ever. He didn't win a league, but he got to change the heart of a rival, make him understand power is not everything. He had beaten two legendaries, something he couldn't help but feel proud of. He smiled remembering how they had helped Mesprit, Azelf and Uxie, witnessed the flower blooming with Shaymin, took care of all Pokémon while Brock was away for one whole day. He mentally smiled on remembering how much fun they had.

Serena's voice broke his train of thoughts,"What will you do if you end up falling in love with him? Not confessing when you have time hurts, right?" Ash thought for a while,"I don't know. And I have never fallen in love either." He didn't think it was even possible. Becoming stronger was his first priority, he had no time or interest in love. Moreover, due to lack of a fathering figure in his life, he had no idea about how to approach any girl.

Serena scoffed at the reply,"Don't lie. You do feel something for him. Calling his mother Mom, meeting him at late night, always talking and smiling around each other, I don't understand. Even Clemont was interested in you!"

Ash lost his cool now,"Will you shut up?! There is not even a single scope for romance in my life! I have no experience in this matter, and he is like my friend. Stop assuming things to make me feel bad. I am not leaving his side, even if it ruins your chances!"

Serena turned away, sulking,"That is what I am saying, why don't or rather why can't you leave him!?"

Ash silently cursed himself. Right now, he didn't even understand what to do or say."Forget it. I just can't."

...

"Okey Golem, use rollout!" Forrest commanded. The heavy rock Pokémon curled up in a ball and charged toward the yellow rodent.

"Okay Pikachu,use quick attack to dodge!"

 _'I can't let Golem touch Pikachu. He has the size advantage!'_

"Okay Pikachu, electroball!"

"Stop rollout Golem, use stone edge!" Forrest screamed. The rollout Pokémon stopped and glowed bright white and hurled sharp stones at Pikachu, who was looking and waiting for the next move.

"That's it Pikachu, use iron tail on the ground to jump high. Then use electro ball followed by iron tail, nonstop!" Dawn desperately said.

Looking at Dawn battle, Ash mentally thought,' _She sure has grown. She is battling with Pikachu like her personal Pokémon even though she doesn't own him!"_

After a hard battle, resulting in Pikachu's victory over Golem, despite being at the type disadvantage, Ash was more than happy. Not only did Pikachu become stronger but also he seemed happy. Ash sighed, he knew he had relied on Greninja too much while being in Kalos and Pikachu sure felt left out. Looking at Pikachu happy made him smile too. So he couldn't help but praise,"You surely enjoyed the battle, yeah Pikachu?"

The yellow rodent gave a happy chaa and nuzzled his face on his foot, making Ash smile. He wondered whether Pikachu was able to differentiate the change in him. No matter how much he wished to take Pikachu and cuddle with him, he didn't have any other option.

Dawn, looking quite satisfied with her victory, gave a tired sigh."Since your parents are not going to come back anytime soon, I would make something for us to eat," she volunteered. Serena asked in awe,"You can cook Ash?" Dawn gave a shocked gasp,"I mean, I will help Dawn while she cooks!"

Ash pointed at himself and asked stupidly,"I can cook?" Dawn slapped his head and awkwardly said,"Yes Dummy! Let us go!"

Once they were gone, Forrest asked,"Wow, they sure look comfortable and so much in sync!"

"Why so?" Serena asked between gritted teeth.

"No, I mean Dawn let Ash hit on her forehead, which is rare. I have only seen this type of exchange in very very close friends or couples!" Forrest clarified, not seeing the death glare the blonde was giving him.

...

After having dinner, Serena suggested everyone should go to sleep. Moreover, she dragged Ash with her,saying she needed to know something.

Ash laughed internally. Truth be told, he was enjoying this exchange. He didn't imagine being a girl would be so exciting. He was able to try different funny hairstyle with Dawn's long hair, loved having a bubble bath, enjoyed the priority he was getting on meeting strangers. What calmed him the most was that he was able to keep away such distressing thoughts of Serena away from her. Dawn was a sensitive girl, he knows that and was happy she wasn't hearing such negative things about their friendship. And as long as he was locked inside Dawn, he had no reason to worry about Serena's proposal.

"Dawn? Can you tell us a story?" Brock's siblings asked him. He sweatdropped.

"I don't have any good story in stock!" He said, waving his hands defensively in front of himself.

"Please?" They cried in union. Ash facepalmed. He was sure in a tight situation.

"Alright, I will tell you how Ash and I met," Ash started,"Pikachu had been kidnapped by team..."

...

"What did you want to tell me about?" Dawn asked quite nervously on seeing Serena close the door behind her.

"Listen Ash. There is something you need to know," Serena started and Dawn gulped. She knew she was going to get some distressing news.

Serena beckoned Ash to sit on the bed and after he seated himself, she sat on a chair, facing him. With a stern voice she asked,"You will answer my every question, understood?"

Dawn gulped,"Y-yeah!"

"What do you feel about me?"

"Sorry?"

"What do you feel for me? When I stay close to you?" Serena asked, trying her best not to panic.

"You're such a sweet girl," Dawn quietly said, trying not to offend her. Serena sighed,"And?"

"I don't think I feel something else," Dawn murmured, looking away.

Serena placed one hand of Dawn's lap and asked,"Not even when I touch you?"

Dawn gulped and beads of perspiration formed on her forehead. Her lips were parted but no voice came out, her mind running wild and crazy. She somehow muttered,"N-no, I-I don't."

Serena licked her lips and placed it dangerously close to Ash's ears,"But your shuttering tells me something different."

Dawn had it. She quickly removed Serena's hand from her lap and stood up, breathing and heavily blushing. Serena was ecstatic, it was the first reaction Ash had ever given to her touch.

Dawn said,"Don't do all this, please."

Serena smiled innocently and in a low voice, asked,"What? All I did was touch you!" Dawn's eyes widened when the honey blonde started walking towards her, cutely smiling and her head crooked toward the left. What made her more uncomfortable was the uneasy sensation running all over through her body.

 _"Is it because I am physically a boy_?" She asked herself, taking a step back on seeing Serena approaching. Her palms became sweaty and to her horror, she was pinned against the wall. Serena placed a hand on Ash's chest and rose to her toes to out her head close to his bare neck.

"You know Ash, it took me some while to muster up all courage to do all this. Never in my wildest dreams had I thought I would do this," her breath tickled Dawn who couldn't help but sigh.

"I really don't want you to do all this," Dawn started but a look of pure horror covered her face when Serena cupped her face and licked her own lips,"May be this will change your mind." Her seductive voice send chills down her spine and Dawn took a big gulp.

 _'Stupid hormones! Stupid me! Why did I even come here? I don't want my first kiss to be a girl! Wait, I don't think it will be my first kiss alone, it is Ash's body after all!'_ She panicked when Serena closed her eyes and leaned forward.

 _'This will be Ash's, Serena's and my first kiss!'_ She quickly turned her face sideways, making Serena's lips touch her cheek. They both sighed, one in relief another in despair.

"What the! What is going on here?"

Serena panicked and let go of her hold on Ash's arm, Dawn was still breathing heavily, embarrassed yet grateful that Ash interfered. She mentally made a note to treat him afterwards.

"What are you doing here Dawn?" Serena asked, cold yet firm. Ash shrugged,"The kids have gone to sleep so I was going to bed too. Just wanted to say good night."

Serena didn't take it,"For God's sake Dawn, you could have left quietly. You saw that we were busy!" Ash was silent and he stared at Dawn, who was looking extremely uncomfortable. He understood thay she was not enjoying it.

"Ash was not enjoying it," Ash told Serena. He hadn't thought things would go this crazy. Dawn moved away and out of the room. Serena called after the retreating figure,"No Ash! Wait!"

However before she could follow Ash, or who she thought the retreating figure was, Ash gripped her hand tightly and gave her a cold glare. Serena gritted her teeth,"Why don't you just go away?"

Ash's face darkened,"What happened to the Serena I knew? Why have you changed so much? Where is your old cheerful personality?"

Serena didn't stop,"See Dawn, you have just known me for three days. Nothing gives you the right to judge me. How will you know? You can't feel the pain which I go through when he doesn't even notice me!"

"But forcing your feelings won't help either," Ash was cut off when Serena freed her hand from his grip and almost screamed,"What do you know about feelings? You never fell in love! See Dawn, Bonnie asked for your hand as a keeper for his brother on your first meeting! She didn't even say it for once even though we were travelling partners for such a long time!"

"You're feeling insecure?"

Serena's back pressed against the wall and she sobbed softly,"All I needed was a little attention from him. Just a little!"

Ash didn't know what to do. Placing a hand on Serena's shoulder, he said,"I will talk to him." Honestly, he didn't understand what he would do, whom to talk to. If he and Dawn switch back bodies, will he be able to accept Serena as who she really is, will he be able to reciprocate her love for him?

"Would you like to go on a date with him?" Ash asked absentmindedly. Serena stared at Dawn with confused eyes.

"After what I was trying to do, will he even want to see my face?" Serena pouted and Ash laughed,"He will. He finds it extremely difficult to deny me.'' He mentally added,'I am the real one after all.'

"Can you make him agree for a date? Really?" Serena folded her hand and looked at the bluentte with sparkling eyes. Ash sweatdropped,"Yeah. Our next stop is Cerulean City. You can have your date there."

...

The trio waved goodbye to Brock's family and were back on road again. There was silence lingering over them, especially Dawn who was unable to look at Ash or Serena in the eye. She was traumatized, not because of the kiss, but because of her feelings.

"Why? Why is this feeling of possessiveness biting my soul?" She asked herself. Ever since she exchanged her body, although unknowingly, she found it annoying yet amusing. Hiding it from everyone, having each others back, putting right the things which the other one messed up, everything was happening so quickly yet so perfectly, as if it was meant to happen.

"Dawn?" She heard and looked up, finding Ash giving her a puzzled look.

"Yeah?" She answered and Ash crooked his head sideways,"You seem spaced out."

Dawn looked around to see that they were standing in front of the Cerulean Pokémon centre. She had spaced out for the whole journey.

"Where is Pikachu?" She asked absentmindedly. Ash sighed,"Didn't you see Serena took him to Nurse Joey?"

"Oh."

"Something is bothering you, is it about Serena's kissing attempt yesterday?" Ash asked and Dawn couldn't help but nod.

"She just needed some attention from Ash," he said, air quoting his name.

"Forget it. It is your headache, not mine. She loves you after all, not me," Dawn teased. Ash gave a grim chuckle,"But as long as you are in possession of my body, it can't be helped."

"Wait, you're saying you feel something for her?" Dawn asked, amused.

"May be I care for her as a friend or may be I really feel something for her. I don't know," Ash said. Dawn sighed, a little sad,"I see."

"But, I know I can't see her sad," Ash said, making Dawn laugh.

"What is so funny?" Ash couldn't help but ask. Dawn giggled to hide her disappointment,"So, Ashy-boy is in love?"

"No... It is not love, that I know for sure, because I feel the same for my Mom, Gary, May, even you. It can be mutual understanding and friendship," He said, smiling.

"For the first time in life, you're sure about something huh?" Dawn couldn't help but ask.

"Let us go inside,"Ash tried to change the topic. Dawn stopped her by her arm,"You remember right?"

"Remember what?" He surely was confused.

"You have to take part in the contest," Dawn said seriously,"I have to take part in the grand festival!"

A look of pure horror covered his face,"Me? Contests?"

She nodded, adjusting Ash's cap on her head,"And you better win!"

"But, I have no experience in this! And the last time I took part in contest was about two years ago," Ash tried to reason. Dawn sighed,"See Ash, I practice with your Pokémon daily, to make sure they stay in shape for your Elite Four battles. You can't ignore my priorities!"

"Fine, I will practice. Anyway, since you have already registered and the contest is tomorrow, I have one day to practice and come up with new strategy," Dawn interrupted him,"And, you can use the diary in my bag, it has all the combinations I invented in the course of three years."

"Got it. But, there is one condition," Ash said, looking away.

"Fine! I will do anything, just complete the work!"

"You... After my contest, you have to. Umm.. Go on a date.. With Serena!" Ash said, feebly. Dawn took a step back,"Are you joking? You must be joking!"

Ash sighed internally,"No, I am not. She looked so sad after you ran away,so I thought it would cheer her up."

"No! I just can't!" Dawn yelled. Ash folded his hand over his chest," It is just one stupid date. Moreover, I am entering Contest for ya, you should help me someway."

Dawn didn't reply for a second. Ash sighed,"Dumbo, I didn't tell you to act so chubby-wubby. You have to make sure the date fails."

"What? I thought you wanted to make her happy?" Dawn asked, confused.

"I did but she has to understand we won't be perfect together. I just don't like her that way. The longer she holds on the hope of having me, the more it would hurt. So, she has to understand I am not what she is looking for in a man."

Dawn eyed him curiously,"You want to ditch her without even making her realise it?"

"You got it!"

Dawn raised her hand above her head and Ash smiled. Giving her a high five, Dawn commented," As you say, my Partner In Crime!"

...

 **I made all the Pearlshippers anxious right? Well, the last part must make it up!**

 **Oh, and if you want me to add anything in story, like, you have any idea you want me to insert, tell me positively! I will try my best to fit them in. Moreover, I will make Ash and Dawn date, just a little more time!**

 **And credit for the scene between Dawn and Serena goes to my bestie who right now, is busy insulting me. *Sigh* Was that amourshipping or Serena x Dawn? I don't know. Oh well. And yeah, one reviewer told me to use Gary or Paul as a means to make Ash jealous. And I must tell, I was thinking about it. Well, lets see, will it be Gary or Paul? Umm. Thats a little hard to decide, even for me.**

 **Next update, November 14th!  
**

 **~ darkestlightofhope**


	6. Chapter 6: Unexpected Arrival

**Author :- Hello peeps! I am back again. Last time, I said that I was going to introduce Paul or Gary. Well, I have made my choice.**

 **KateAvenir: Interested?**

 **Author :- Oh! You all don't know who Kate is! Right? She is the one and only helping author I have! Yep, she is the coauthor of this story! So welcome her! You can call her Rashi too.**

 **KateAvenir: Nice to meet you all! Call me Kate! Or Rashi *Gives the audience a slight nod and a sly wink.***

 **Author- I already said that Idiot!**

 **Kate- I can introduce myself, thank you very much.**

 **Author: *Pouting * Well, lets come back. Anyways, majority said Gary, because of Dawn's interest in poetry and all.**

 **Kate: So, she is going to add *a**.**

 **Author: Haha! Got you there! Thats a secret! So, wait to find out! May be I will bring him in in this chapter only or probably the next one!**

 **Kate:- Enough talking, lets start! Darkestlightofhope doesn't own Pokémon. All the characters belong to their respective owners. All she owns is a stupid phone, a name, a useless brain, a large appetite, a...**

 **Author: Stop already! And let them start!**

...

Dawn took a deep breath and knocked on the door of the gym of Cerulean City. She was excited to meet the girl who loved water Pokémon so much, and who had given Ash such a cute Misty lure. Ash who was standing beside her, was smiling goofily, waiting for Misty to open the door. It had been so long since he last saw her.

"So Ash, what's this Misty girl like?" Serena asked, amazed.

"She is a water type Gym leader and hates bug Pokémon, besides that, she is a bit short tempered, aggressive but kind hearted," Ash said, quoting the words,'bug Pokemon.'

"You know quite a lot about Misty, eh Dawn?" Serena smiled at her, making Ash and Dawn take a gulp. Ash gave an uneasy smile and scratched the back of his head,"Yeah. I kind of know about her, she is a popular gym leader after all." Dawn sighed in relief at her or his explanation, muttering,"I wonder where she is right now."

"Pika!"

"Hey Pikachu! You have grown so much and look so strong!" A new voice said and the trio turned to face its owner.

"Misty!" Ash smiled and enveloped her in a hug, taking everyone by surprise.

Misty gave an awkward laugh and uneasily said,"I respect your sentiments, but who are you anyway?"

Ash blushed a deep hue of red, unaware of the jealous aura the blue haired girl was emitting.

"Dawn! Nice to meet you," Ash extended his hand. Misty shook hands with her, smiling,"Same here."

"The name is Serena!" Serena chirped sweetly.

Dawn smiled and hugged Misty, saying,"You have become strong, I can tell Mist." Misty hugged her, thinking it was Ash,"And you have grown into a fine young man Ash. Congratulation on winning the Kalos League!"

"Pip pip!"

Misty's eyes sparkled and she quickly picked up the blue penguin and rubbed her cheek against it, making the blue penguin chirp in ecstasy.

"I had always wanted to see a Piplup!" Misty cooed.

"Hey Misty, can't we come in?" Ash smiled and Misty waved her hands sheepishly,"My bad! Get in. Ash's friends are my friends."

"I was just kidding Mist. We must leave, Dawn has a contest to take part in," Dawn said, for the first time, taking advantage of being Ash.

Misty eyed him curiously,"Oh? That's great! Go get them girl!"

"Thanks?" Ash said, sounding perfectly ridiculous.

"So, after the contest, you all can come over. It will be a great night out!" Misty offered,"Moreover, I need to see how much you have improved since we last met."

Dawn was now going to explode. She took a big gulp to calm herself down and mentally slapped herself. _Should I? No. That will be mean. You know what, forget morals._

"I have a date with Serena in the evening. And we are leaving tomorrow. So, sorry Misty," Dawn said, ignoring all the glances she was getting,"May be next time."

Ash was staring at her in awe. She actually said that? That was way out of her character.

Serena's face was red with embarrassment and she was unconsciously biting her lips to hide her excitement. Ash said that. Ash actually said that.

Misty was still giving 'Ash' a surprised look. Then slowly a small smile crept on her face,"Oh my! Ash has actually grown up! Finally someone has knocked some sense into his brain.' She pinched his nose and giggled,"Actually, I wanted all of you too meet my boyfriend but that's alright."

Dawn's mind did a somersault. Misty. Boyfriend. Jealousy. Ash. She gulped. Things were not going the way she planned.

"Boyfriend?" Serena said, holding Misty's hand,"Oh my God! That sounds so good. Who is he?"

Ash again asked,"Yeah, who is it Mist?"

"Don't you want to know Ash?" Misty chuckled.

"Oh? Who is he?" Dawn asked, hiding her guilty face.

"Tracey!" Misty chirped,"Yeah, things were tough in the beginning but we are managing."

Ash gave her a thumbs up,"All the best Misty."

"Thank you, Dawn!"

...o...

"Do I really need to wear this dress?" Ash asked, a horrified expression on his face. He gulped when Dawn nodded her head.

"But..!" He was unable to finish when Dawn stopped him,"See Ash. I am a coordinator. You have to do this and you better win."

Ash sighed in defeat,"But this jeans and top are good enough. Why do I have to wear this?"

Dawn gave him a glare and puffed her cheeks,"See Ash. Don't argue. Go and wear this. And don't forget to put the seals on. Don't go all offensive. Staying on defensive earns points too."

"Alright. Alright."

"And please, think before you act. If you panic, pokemon will panic too," Dawn advised again.

"I know."

"And smile all the time. Don't let anyone see that you're anxious."

"Okay."

"And.." Dawn was cut off when Ash placed a finger on her lips. He sighed and crooked his head sideways,saying,"Have faith in me, please." Dawn's face warmed up due to the contact and she nodded once, her breath caught in her throat.

Ash picked up the dress and got up to leave. Dawn placed a hand on his shoulder, making him turn around.

"Ash?" She slowly said.

Ash sighed again. There she goes with her advices again. Dawn smiled at him softly and said,"All the best. I am putting my faith in you, like always."

...

The stage was decorated with flashy ribbons and wall paintings of various people, each of them holding a giant Golden Cup in their arms. The central spot had a bright painting of a ribbon with a stone in shape of a heart. The sidelines had three desks with chairs.

A brunette, with shoulder length hair and bright green eyes was talking to a pink haired woman, smiling and nodding all the time. Then, she went to the centre of the stage, picking up a microphone along the way.

"Hello ladies and gentleman! Welcome to Cerulean City Pokemon Contest! I am Mirian! And we have Mr. Contesta, Mr. Shukizo and our very own, Cerulean City Nurse Joey as our judge. We are here to celebrate the silver jubilee of the contest era and thus, we hope to see some spectacular performances today! The winner will get a aqua ribbon and will take one step toward the Annual Kanto Grand Festival!"

Dawn, who was on the bleachers with Serena, took a big gulp. If Ash wins this one, she will have to give Ash a treat. Moreover, what the boy was planning was beyond her. She just hoped that he doesn't humiliate her in front of everyone. Being a two times grand festival winner comes with expectations.

Serena sensed her anxiety and placed a hand on her shaking shoulders, getting her attention,"Ash? You okay?"

"Yeah. Kind of."

"Are you anxious about our date?" She asked, slyly, hiding her shyness.

Dawn sighed, remembering her deal,"Yeah. Kind of."

"I am so happy Ash. Thank you," she said, genuinely happy. Dawn bit her lip,"It was nothing."

Mirian's voice echoed in the hall,"Let us start our performance by a talented young coordinator, Kenny from Twinleaf Town of Sinnoh!"

Dawn nearly jumped from her seat, "Kenny is here?" Serena gave him a confused look,"You know him?" Dawn giggled,"He is one of Dawn's rivals from Sinnoh. Its nice to see him again." Serena gave an 'oh' of understanding.

"Okay Empoleon, Skitty, its our time to shine!" Kenny shouted out,tossing two pokeballs in air.

Meanwhile, Ash was shaking in the contestant area. If Kenny is here, there is a huge chance of him losing. Even Dawn had to focus hard to outwit him, even with all her experience. How would he do it? His grip on the thin fabric of the yellow summer dress increased and his mind was blocked with all sorts of possibilities. He understood how much dedication Dawn had to give to win two grand festivals in a row.

A man, wearing an oval shaped spectacle poked his head inside the room and then read out something from his notepad. Then announced,"Dawn Berlitz. Report to the back stage. You're up next."

Ash took a deep breath and shook his head, slapping his cheeks to focus,"Its now or never. She has faith in me. I can't let her down."

...

However much he was ready to face everyone, a wave of fright hit him when he faced the crowd. It had been two whole minutes since he had stepped on the stage and he had yet to move.

"Go on!" Mirian announced again.

His eyes wandered wildly and rested on a pair of brown eyes which once belonged to him. She was as scared as he was. Taking a deep breath , he unclipped his pokeballs and kissed them,"I believe you will save her name. Spotlight!"

The seal broke and spread a sparkling yellow dust all over the stage, covering the two Pokémon which had been let out. A hazy silhouette of two pokemons could be made out and Dawn crooked her eyes to see who Ash had picked. Her mouth opened wide and she rubbed her eyes to double check. Was he really going to use these two?

The dust was blown away when a white pokemon, with various pattern on its body used its wings to disperse it. Another pokemon, with flame coming out from its head and tail rolled up, forming a flame wheel.

"Okay Thyphlosion, flame wheel. Togekiss, use psychic to lift Thyphlosion up!"

'What is he thinking? It is impossible even for a psychic type to lift such a heavy pokemon!' Dawn mentally slapped herself.

However, she was amazed when Togekiss swirled round and round in the air in spiral, Thyplosion revolving in exact same velocity as its partner. Togekiss's eyes shone bright blue and in an instant, Thyphlosion was in the air, with him moving in a spiral way. It seemed that they were moving up, in form of a double stranded DNA. Dawn gulped, how did Ash come up with such an idea?

"Now aura sphere and flame thrower!"

Togekiss threw up an aura sphere in the sky, a flame thrower following it from below. As soon as they made contact, the aura sphere burst to let out sparking silver dust all around. Dawn almost smiled when she found Ash bowing with the two Pokémon in the middle of all the sparkle.

"She is good," Serena almost whistled. Dawn had to suppress a laugh,"Yeah, better than I had initially imagined."

...

Dawn placed a hand on her racing heart. Ash was almost there. He had managed to reach the final but that is where the hard part begins. He was up against Kenny, who was, in no way, a weak opponent.

"Okay, Empoleon, Roselia, time to shine," Kenny's shrill voice resonated in the air.

"We can do this, Maril and Beautifly!" Ash smiled and tossed his pokeballs high in the air.

Dawn took a big gulp. Beautifly was her loyal partner, almost comparable to Togekiss but Maril. She wasn't sure why Ash had chosen her.

"I won't make it easy for you Dawn," Kenny arrogantly teased her. Ash smiled back,"Same here." Kenny smiled teasingly and clicked his tongue,"What's up with the sudden morale boost Dee-dee?"

Ash laughed,"Such tricks don't work anymore!"

"Let the battle begin."

"Okay Roselia, sunny day! Empoleon, water gun!" Kenny took the initiative. Ash gave a quick sigh and commanded,"Now is your time to shine Maril! Bubble beam followed by water gun! Beautifly, gust!"

The bubble was wrapped in the gust, thus spiralling straight toward Roselia. However, Empoleon's water gun was making its way through the beam which was countered by Maril's own water gun.

"That's pretty!" Serena whispered. Dawn nodded. Maril. She always depended on Piplup for everything. Even after she got Maril, she hardly used her, because she was afraid as Maril was inexperienced. Boy she was wrong. She had forgotten to rise to the top, she needs everyone by her side, not just a few strong pokemon.

She saw Beautifly dodging Roselia's energy ball and then caught her in a whirlwind vortex. Maril was having her own battle against Empoleon.

"Iron tail Maril!"

"Drill Peck Empoleon!"

Dawn was still quiet. Anything could be the outcome now. Whosoever would land the hit first would probably win. However, as soon as the attack collided, the whole arena was covered with thick smoke.

"Shit!" Dawn cursed herself under the breath.

She saw Beautifly emerge victorious, making her way through the smoke and elegantly swayed above. That meant only Empoleon, Maril and Roselia were in the arena.

"Hydro canon!" She heard two simultaneous voices.

"Ash! Make it please!" She prayed, her hand over her chest. It was beating so rapidly that she feared it would pop out of her chest. She gripped his navy blue jacket which she was wearing tightly, inhaling its scent a little.

The smoke began to clear and her eyes widened. This was truly a miracle.

...

"See, I told you I would win!" Ash chirped while meeting up with Dawn at the backstage.

"You are too aggressive. You knocked out both of them! That's why you won!" Dawn said while running her hand through her newly acquired Aqua ribbon.

"A win is a win," Ash said, sulking.

"I can't expect flashy moves from you. I know," Dawn sighed.

"I am a trainer for your kind information," Ash said, still sulking. Dawn giggled,"Forget it! I am just happy that I have a ribbon!"

They started walking out of the contest hall which was, to his delight, free from any fangirls. They turned around a corner and Dawn saw the roof of the Pokémon Centre come into view.

"Where is Serena anyways?" Ash asked, noticing Pikachu to be gone too,"And Pikachu?''

Dawn shrugged her shoulders,"Since you were taking long to come out, she left,saying she had to prepare herself for the evening." She almost shivered on saying the last part.

"And carried your Pokemons so that they can be given to Nurse Joey?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, she has your and my ones too," Dawn said, anxious about the evening.

"I met Kenny while going to change," Ash began to narrate.

"Oh? What did he say?" She asked.

"That I did well though I lacked my usual charm," Ash chuckled,"Man, he didn't know how much scared I was. I was going to throw up."

"And nothing else?"

A pink blush dusted his cheeks as he said,"He asked me out in a date."

"Oh shit!" Dawn cursed.

"Hey no need to worry!" Ash said, using her catchphrase,"I'm not going to do something more deadlier than a contest."

"Seriously? That was just one contest that you took part in!" Dawn poked her tongue out at him. His lips extended into a thin line,"I just want to become my old self again."

"Me too. Waking up with 207 bones instead of 206 is getting embarrassing," she teased. Ash's face turned red in embarrassment and he quickly countered,"At least it is better than the five days of bleeding."

Dawn grimaced,"You knucklehead!"

"Sorry, sorry. You began the dirty talk," he waved his hands offensively. Then an idea stuck him. He slowly asked,"How do you pee?"

Dawn's face flushed red as she shuttered,"What!?"

"I mean, you must ..you know..touch and do that thing?!" Ash asked, a little embarrassed. Dawn shoved him away,"You dirty pig!''

"Hey!" Ash mouthed,"I'm a boy and I can be dense. But at least I've my pride!" Dawn narrowed her playfully and nudged her fingers together, waiting for him to complete that sentence. Ash finally asked,"Like what you see?"

Dawn plainly ignored him.

She placed the ribbon in the ribbon case and Ash placed a hand on her shoulder, making her face him.

"What?" She asked when she the mischievous glint in his blue eyes. She knew it was going to be weird. She also knew that she couldn't expect anything else from him either.

Meanwhile, another thought crept inside her mind. What if they never come back to their original self again? Will they stay side by side forever? She zoned out and was brought back to her senses with Ash shaking her quite roughly.

"Oi? You there?" He asked.

"What were you saying, sorry I zoned out for a moment," Dawn apologized, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head.

Ash complained,"Seriously, can't you pay attention?"

"Sounds like you're pouting,"she teased. He moved a bit closer to her, and for a split second, Dawn thought Ash was staring at her lips. He was about to say something when Dawn teased him, referring to earlier,"I did not like what I had seen."

Ash, now self-conscious, decided to turn the tables. He wasn't going to be the one feeling bad about his body. And he knew how to tick her off.

"I won," he started off.

"And..?" She slowly asked, resisting her urge to gulp. He was so close that she could feel his breath on her neck. Or her breath on her neck. Whatever, but it was making her crazy.

"About the date," he smiled again, making Dawn's breath stop in its track. He slowly leaned closer, his face just a few inches away from her and Dawn gulped at the close proximity. Her eyes flickered back from his lips then his eyes and Ash couldn't help but grip her a little tighter. For the first time, he regretted that Dawn, was taller than him, although temporarily. She couldn't help but think that he was doing as she hurt his pride.

"Ash..''Dawn slowly said and gulped,"Are you going to kis-"

"Hey Dawn, Ashy-boy," a boy with shrilled, unusual high pitched voice greeted them, making Ash release Dawn quickly and they both got up, gazing in different directions. They didn't know, whether to be happy at the interference or be mad because of it.

"What? This is the greeting I get after meeting you all after such a long time?" Gary teased them and put his hands inside his pocket, eyeing them mischievously.

'Oh God! This is embarrassing,' Dawn mentally groaned,'Gary saw everything.'

Ash smiled at him plainly,"Its you."

Gary raised his eyebrows,"Yes Dawn. Its me. You don't sound too eager to see me after such a long time. But I must say, I wouldn't be too happy if someone would have ruined my moment too."

Ash quickly shouted, trying to hide his embarrassment,"There's nothing like that. I was, yes! I was teaching Ash how to make a move on girls! Right! Right!"

Gary eyed 'Dawn' curiously,"Looked like something else to me."

Dawn suddenly had an idea to change the topic and she hugged Gary, taking both the men by surprise. She smiled,"Hey Poet- uggh, Gary! Nice to meet you again."

Gary hugged him back, chuckling,"I wasn't expecting such a warm greeting either but, nice to see you too Ashy-boy."

Dawn quickly glanced at Ash from the corner of her eyes and a satisfied grin covered her face when she saw a small pout on his face.

"Hey there, nice to meet you too," Ash grimly welcomed Gary who shook his hands with her, much to Ash's irritation.

"What were you two doing before I arrived, hn?" Gary smirked on seeing their flush expressions. He teased further,"I heard something about a date."

Dawn began playing with the rim of the black buttoned up shirt she was wearing, shuttering,"I.. I..."

Ash, this time, took the initiative,"A date with Serena. Yes, Ash has a date with Serena later on." A wave of satisfaction hit him on seeing the smug look on Dawn's face. She was pouting, making his face look more ridiculous. He was satisfied. Why? Because Dawn had hugged Gary and though it would be Dawn who would actually go on the date, everyone else would believe that it is Ash. Nor that he can make anyone understand if anything goes wrong.

Gary grinned,"Ashy-boy actually going on a date? I thought he was a gay!" Ash wanted to defend himself but stayed silent, understanding Gary will mistake him for Dawn. However, Dawn saved his butt,"Oh yeah. I was actually interested in you at first but then realized that dealing with girls is more easy than dealing with you. Anyways, you still look as handsome as ever.''

Though Ash knew Dawn had defended him, he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed about it. Gary eyed him in shock,"Stay away from me. I can't trust you anymore."

"Chill Gary," Dawn said, laughing,"I was just messing around."

Ash interjected, "Messing with something so..awkward."

Gary saw the exchange of looks between them and couldn't help but smile to himself. It is the same look which his parents used to give each other while trying to make the other one jealous. He instantly knew what he had to do.

"So, you and this Serena girl will be heading out, right Ashy-boy?" He asked.

Dawn sighed,"Yeah.."

Gary's lips rose up in a small smile,"Then I can give Dawn company for the evening." Ash shuddered at the thought, 'spending a evening with Gary who knows me since the time we were kids.'

Dawn couldn't help but laugh on finding the similar situations Ash and she were in. She had to go out with Serena, pretending to be Ash. And now, Ash had to spend the evening with Gary, pretending to be Dawn.

Gary rose his eyebrows, waiting for an answer,"Should I take the silence as a yes? Or no?"

Ash sighed in relief,"N-"

He was stopped when Dawn quickly answered,"Sure. Dawn will be glad. Right Dawn?"

Ash gave her a cold stare, gritting his teeth,"Right. Ash."

Gary smirked at the expression battle between them. Just a little twist here and a little spice there to create a perfect blend.

"Alright then," he came forward and wrapped his arms around Dawn's waist, pulling her into his embrace,"Lets hit the road."

Ash gave Dawn a pleading smile who just pretended to whistle at the tree nearby, infuriating him further. His mind turned array and he couldn't help but hate Gary for trying to be so lovey-dovey with Dawn.

Dawn was walking behind them, enjoying the discomfort which Ash was going through. She knew it was cruel of her to do so but if she had to manage a date with a person of opposite gender, then it will be better if Ash goes through the same too. May be then he will stop making such decisions which makes her suffer, both emotionally and psychologically.

 _"Oh Ash. I really want to go back into my real body but I can't help but enjoy these things,"_ she softly spoke to herself, her eyes watering. _"If things come back to normal, you will go your own way and I will go mine. Who knows when our paths will cross again, or if our paths will ever cross again?!"_

 _..._

 **Author- And this wraps things up. And I won't be passing the mike to Kate, who just insulted me.**

 **Kate- As if I will sulk like you.**

 **Author- don't forget to read, review and follow! See you guys next time. Right now this girl needs a good treatment from me.**

 **Kate- I won't go easy either.**

 **~ darkestlightofhope & KateAvenir signing out..!**


	7. Chapter 7: My Date

**Author- hey all pearlshippers out there! There is a good news!**

 **Kate- *Rolling her eyes* our final exams are approaching, is that a good news?**

 **Author- *Gives her a dirty look* Stop spoiling my mood.**

 **Kate- Whatever!**

 **Author- Anyways, this chapter marks the end of Serena arc! Happy? I am! And sorry! I didn't add Paul, well, I wanted too but Gary*dreamily sighs*...**

 **Kate- She is in her dream world. Well let her be. Lets continue with the story. *Looks at the author and sighs* She is probably busy naming her babies...**

 **Disclaimer- I don't own fairy tail. Oh wait! It's Pokémon. Doesn't matter, I don't own this too.**

 **...**

Serena was happily walking along side with Ash, or whom she supposed to be Ash, her eyes sparkling at the items displayed at every shop.

"Everything here is related to water," she giggled,"So sparky yet so cool."

Dawn eyed her curiously,"Yeah."

Serena saw a big aquarium on the middle of a street, and the huge crowd surrounding it caught her attention. Locking her arms around Ash, she was overjoyed. A soft giggle escaped her lips and she broke into a run, carrying Dawn with her. 'Oh boy,' Dawn sighed again.

"Wait up, girl! Slow!" Dawn pleaded. Her prayers fell on deaf ears. Serena dragged her all the way to the aquarium and squeezed her way in, her eyes sparkling with delight on watching the various water Pokémon swimming in it.

"Lovediscs," Serena slowly whispered.

"Where?" Dawn asked, her heart drooping and dropping. Eternal love? She cursed her luck. 'How fucked up can I be?'

Serena's soft voice took her by surprise. Dawn faced her, her heart doing a somersault on seeing her sad expression. Serena slowly muttered,"They are not here.''

"You were looking for lovediscs?" Dawn asked, looking away to hide her blush. Was it males hormones acting on her or was she really falling for Serena? 'I am so messed up,' she mentally groaned. Right now, all she knew was that this date was becoming a nightmare.

"Yeah. I never saw a lovedisc before. I thought we will find one here," Serena said with a soft smile on her face. Then turning to Dawn, she smiled wider,"Where do you want to go next?"

Dawn gave her a blank expression,"I don't know."

Serena put a finger on her chin, pretending to be deep in thought. A grin appeared on her face and she slightly bend forward, leaning on Dawn's arms.

"Let us head to the mall."

"Mall?" Dawn asked, curiously.

"Yeah, mall," a dreadful expression appeared on Serena's face,"I have to get some gifts for Clemont and Bonnie as well as for my Mom too."

Dawn stopped in her tracks,"What do you mean?"

Serena bit her tongue playfully, giggling,"Didn't I tell you, I am leaving tomorrow."

A brick landed on Dawn's heart. Did Ash agree for the date only because she was leaving and he wanted to go and seperate on good terms? It was the only possible explanation she could come up with.

Serena was walking with him on her side, scanning various stores at the Cerulean mall. She had earlier assumed that Ash would groan and sulk like other boys on hearing the word,'shopping', but to her delight and fear, it was just the opposite.

He was almost dragging her at various stores, eyeing every piece of clothing with such enthusiasm Serena couldn't explain. Even Ash's choice of clothes were far too advanced and classy.

A embarrassed question arised in her mind. Was Ash, a girly type of person? Or was he a gay? Should she ask him or let it be? Was that the reason he never noticed her or any girls for that matter?

She was brought back to her senses when Dawn shook her, asking whether she was alright.

"I have got gifts for everyone, we can leave," Serena said, still confused whether she should ask if he liked the date or not.

"Can we grab something to eat?" Dawn asked, rubbing her belly,"I am starving."

Serena gave her a cheeky smile,"Yes!'' When Dawn turned away, she pumped her fist in air, grinning to herself. She bit her lip and ran to catch up to Ash.

"Can we order something light?"Dawn asked,"I have to keep some space free for having dinner later."

Serena sat down opposite to Ash and gave him a weird look. She softly asked,"I thought you're hungry!"

Dawn nodded,"I am. But I'm habituated to have dinner with my Pokemon's. Many of them don't even eat if I don't feed them. No need to worry okay?" Dawn smiled, thinking about Pachirisu and then there is Piplup and Thyphlosion, always ending up throwing food at each other instead of eating.

Serena titled her head sideways, looking bewildered,"Huh?''

"Nothing!" Dawn exclaimed and dug into her burger.

As they finished their dinner and got up, Serena shyly asked,"Should I pay for my part?" Dawn, who wasn't paying attention, smiled,"You will. Okay then!"

Serena mentally slapped herself. Could she even call it a date?

'Probably,' she thought,'He is here to keep me company. He is generous, I know. He is trying.'

And Serena wasn't even sure why they picked up a horror movie to watch. She wanted to hide her face in his chest during the course of the movie but ended up lending the poor boy a shoulder to hide his face. She hadn't imagined Ash was this afraid of ghosts.

So their movie date failed too.

As Serena and 'Ash' were standing outside the door which led to the room which the three were sharing, Serena slowly said,"So.."

Dawn replied with her own,"Sooo?"

"Thank you Ash," Serena smiled,"Though it wasn't perfect, I enjoyed it."

Dawn scratched the back of her head,"I wish we could take our Pokémon along, they would have been so excited!"

Serena narrowed her eyes at him, glaring with such a intensity which made Dawn shudder. She pointed an accusing finger on his chest, almost yelling,"Mr! No ones takes Pokémon while being on a date."

Dawn took a step back, her back colliding with the floor. Serena inched forward, scoffing a little,"And be glad I didn't say anything about wearing your normal travel gear. Look at me, I dressed up for this. But, you..you hardly made any effort for it."

"Serena.. " Dawn gulped while taking her name. What would she do? What can she tell? Ash didn't even have any formal dresses. What was she supposed to wear?

"Forget it, you didn't even hold hands with me. Not even once," Serena pointed out.

Dawn felt like someone was purposely doing this. She didn't even want to go on a date in the first place. Ash forced it upon her. Yet, the raven haired boy was there, perfectly unaware of all these.

"Will you say something?" Serena almost screamed at her face.

"Serena, look, I am here on a date because Dawn asked me to do this favour. It is not out of any romantic feeling I have for you or because I want to play with your feelings. You want this, a date, candlelight dinner, romantic walk, and what not! Did you even bother asking me how I feel?" She didn't stop when the a tear rolled down Serena's cheek. She continued,"Relationship is a two way thing. Please, don't try to put and fix people where they don't fit. I already told you I don't feel the same way about'cha!"

Serena wiped away her tears and shoved him out of the way, almost knocking him out. Dawn placed a hand on her shaking shoulder, saying,"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to.."

She stopped her, saying,"I am glad we met. And I guess this is where we say goodbye."

"Serena..."

"No Ash. You're right. I was just being selfish. I didn't even think or consider your feelings. But after all what happened, I just want to preserve whatever friendship we have. So, don't worry, everything is okay!" As Serena was speaking, she didn't even turn back once and Dawn knew, she couldn't manage to see her weeping face.

At least she didn't cost Ash one of her friends.

Serena wiped away her tears and entered the room, ignoring the presence of a new brown haired boy in their room. She quickly grabbed her nightwear and rushed to the bathroom, avoiding eye contact.

''Wasn't that Serena?" Ash, who was sitting beside Gary, asked, bewildered. He groaned, mentally slapping himself,'Dawn must have messed up.'

Gary quickly wrapped his arms around 'Dawn's' waist, earning a small squeak from Ash. However, he didn't say anything and soon heard the sound of door opening and closing again.

"Hey Ashy-boy!" Gary grinned, his arms still around Dawn's physique,"How was your date?"

Dawn completely ignored his question and gave Ash a hard glare. Ash tried to break Gary's grip from himself, failing as Gary pulled her into his embrace more tightly.

"Gary, let go," Ash squirmed under his grip.

"Oh? Aren't you enjoying Dawn?" Gary smirked while inhaling her hair's smell.

Ash was waiting for a reaction from Dawn. Dawn stared at the duo for a second and slowly breathed out, saying,"Get your hands off her.''

"Oh Ashy-boy? Want all the girls to yourself?" Gary teased. Ash gulped on seeing Dawn cracking her knuckles. He quickly tried to free himself from Gary, mustering to say,"Gary, let go."

Dawn repeated again,"Gary, remove your hands from her waist." Her voice was so calm and collected that a chill ran down Ash's spine. Her voice was demanding and irritated at the same time. She was a girl with a calm exterior and a burning interior. Things could get real ugly, especially when the angry girl is locked inside him. He definitely didn't want to be crippled or badly hurt due to a fight.

"I like it this way," Gary smirked and Ash crouched up in a ball. He knew the date failed, terribly and it had obviously put Dawn in a foul mood. And Gary's stubbornness was not making it easy either.

"Gary, I am uncomfortable," Ash's voice was almost pleading,"Let me go."

"You heard it, let her go," Dawn said again, her knuckles white due the extreme pressure she was applying on her hands.

Gary didn't budge. Instead, he gave her a smirk, saying,"Why do you care Ash? She is not your girlfriend you know."

Dawn had had enough. She took a step toward them and in a go, unplugged the TV plug from the socket. Then standing before them, she heavily breathed out, her eyes never leaving the two.

"What?" Gary asked, giving her a bored look.

"No need to worry. You can keep her. You both are just the same," Dawn said, her anger speaking for herself,"You don't care what others think or feel. You do things as you wish not caring how it would effect the people around you.''

Ash hastily got up, trying to calm her down,"Dawn.."

Dawn suddenly realized that she was taking out her anger on those two who hadn't even caused it. Her eyes became misty and before any one could see her weakened state,she uttered a soft sorry and ran out.

"Wait!" Ash called out, his hands trembling and he quickly turned to see her, leaving the room.

His eyes were becoming misty and before he realised, a tear rolled down from his sapphire orbs.'Boys don't cry,' he said to himself, however, failing to restrict his emotions.

He felt Gary's hand on his shoulder and shoved it away.

"Shit Dawn! I didn't knew that he would overreact that much," He tried to reason but all he got was silence as an answer. He apologized again,"Sorry Dawn.."

Ash quickly rushed out of the room, making his way toward the entrance of the Pokémon centre.

Serena, sensing commotion outside, rushed out from the bathroom, her eyes red and puffy. Seeing an unknown man in her room, she almost shrieked out,"Who the hell are you?"

Gary turned to face her and sighed again,saying,"I am Ash's childhood friend, Gary Oak."

A small, relieved look appeared on her face and she looked around, noticing the absence of her two companions. Turning her attention back to Gary, she asked,"Did I miss anything?"

"A lot."

...

Ash came to a halt when he found the door of the Pokémon centre locked, and found Chansey leaning against the counter of Nurse Joey's clinic. He quickly asked Nurse Joey,"Joey, was a boy with black hair here?''

Nurse Joey gave her an apologetic smile,"A boy, about your age, was leaving. We don't allow trainers to leave for their journey so late at night. So the young man kept his Pokémon here, saying he will come back for them tomorrow."

A huge sigh of relief covered his face and he thanked Nurse Joey and asked,"Where is he now?" She pointed towards the lobby.

Joey gave the departing bluentte a smile,"Young love."

...~

'It shouldn't be that bad!' Ash muttered to himself,'She must be wandering somewhere near as she said she will be returning tomorrow.'

A small smile appeared on his face when he felt the pokeballs clipped to his pocket. He had even brought Pikachu with him.

"Pika?"

Ash sighed. Crouching down, he petted his head, getting a chaa from the electric mouse. He slowly said,"Da-Ash and I had a fight. So he left, without any precautions." Pikachu gave a sad chaa and Ash couldn't help but feel bad about lying to him. He continued speaking while standing up and fixing his skirt,"Can you sniff him out?"

"PIKA!"

"I know that I can depend on you Pikachu, lets go and find her," Ash enthusiastically said while pumping his fist in air.

Pikachu crouched on all fours and began sniffing the ground. His eyes shone and he quickly stood up, giving a loud chirp of,"Pika! Pika! Pikacha!" before dashing upstairs.

"Hey wait up Pikachu!" Ash smiled behind him, feeling contended that his buddy was so concerned about it. The Cerulean city Pokémon centre was exceptionally big, with three stories. The lower one was used for accommodation of trainers, the second floor was used for battle practice and the third, for battling with other trainers.

Pikachu suddenly came to a halt and sniffed again, his eyes drooping. Ash suddenly crouched down, asking,"Did you lose her scent, umm, his scent?'' Pikachu nodded, his expression sullen and ears straight again to catch any sound.

Ash sighed,"Well, let us head to where you got her scent last from."

"Pika pika?"

"You mean Piplup?" Ash asked,"Right! He is my partner!"

He unclipped another pokeball from his belt amd tossed it up in the air. The blue penguin Pokémon chirped angrily while pecking'Dawn's head.' Ash quickly grabbed Piplup and gave him an apologetic smile, saying,"Sorry Puplup. I promise I won't keep you in your pokeball for so long anymore!"

Piplup, who was tapping his feet angrily, suddenly lost all its anger and chirped again,"Piplup!" He puffed his chest while boastfully putting his flippers on his hips.

"And now, let us get her back." Ash smiled,"Then, you can boast!"

...

Dawn, who was still wearing a blue cardigan over the black vest, laid back on her back, staring at the sky. She knew she messed up the date. But, she didn't even wanted to do it in the first place! She hardly went without her Pokemon's and now, without his Pokemons! What if they were attacked?

"But that doesn't give me the right to yell at her. Or even Ash or Gary," she sighed.

If course she was the one who lead Gary on. Ash didn't even wanted to be near Gary in the first place! But seeing his arms around her own body was infuriating. What infuriated her more was that Gary had unknowingly hugged Ash.

"Damn! I'm messed up!" She said while pulling her hair.

"Hey?" Dawn jerked up, hearing a familiar voice calling out. She didn't want to face him now. She still needed time to figure out her feelings. Was she angry at him because Gary was flirting with him or because all the recent arguments they were having because of the swapping?

But she knew that she could count on him.

Moreover, talking with him always cheered her up. Why not try it now? Ash,being Ash, somehow knew all things which suited the situation.

"I'm sorry Dawn! I know you're here!" Ash called out and Dawn let out a small giggle, saying,"Right. I am here." It was amusing to hear someone's own voice calling out to herself.

Ash, somehow managing to find his way with help of Pikachu's sparks lighting the way, located her sitting at the far end of the terrace. Piplup was the first one to jump into Ash's arms, snuggling with him on succeeding to find 'Ash'. Though Dawn knew it was unintentional, she couldn't help but feel betrayed. Pikachu quickly hopped in 'Dawn's' lap, chirping,'Pikapii.'

Pikachu was already asleep as soon as it sat down on Dawn's lap. Ash slowly broke the ice,"Dawn?"

"Wait!" Dawn cut him off,"Let me apologize. I messed up your date, made you seem bad and now, insulted Gary."

Ash sighed,"We can't control something. They happen."

"Since when did you become so perceptive?"

"Ah? I was always one!" Ash exclaimed, trying to maintain his honour.

"How did we end up this way? I remember seeing Phione and Manaphy but this," Dawn paused and slowly started stroking Pikachu. With a sigh she continued,"I thought it would be fun, to be a boy and jump away from the restrictions implied upon a girl but..."

Ash sighed too,"Yeah. You're right. For a moment, I thought I'll be able to see the world through a different perspective. But, being a girl is difficult. You always feel that someone is trying to touch you at all the wrong places. I can't even describe how awkward and uneasy that is."

"You're right. I'm glad you understand Ash," Dawn thanked him.

"So tell me, how bad was the date?" Ash asked, his tone eager and curious.

An embarrassed smile crept up Dawn's tanned face and she nervously scratched her temples,"I kind of ...umm...I didn't pay for the food we brought, walked around without joining hands with her, wished to bring some Pokémon along..."

"No wonder she was angry," Ash whispered.

"Did you say anything?" She asked, her tone serious.

He nervously waved his hands in front of his face "No! But is that all?"

"Why?" She asked.

"No, I mean.."

"Spill it please!"

"Did I have my first kiss yet?" He asked shyly.

She gave him a teasing smirk and slowly, but in a husky voice said,"And what if I say she is grumpy because I lost your virginity today and and she wasn't impressed with what she saw?"

A shiver ran down his spine and he gulped, nervously asking,"You're kidding right? I'm still a virgin right? And hey! Its not that bad!"

Dawn burst out laughing and clutched her stomach, her laugh waking up Pikachu who gave her an amused chirp.

"Sorry Pikachu, for waking you up," Dawn said between giggles,"I couldn't help myself."

Ash, who was pouting at her answer, slowly muttered,"What a pain."

"Anyways," Dawn spoke up,"I'm glad I went on this date." Ash, whose curiosity was suddenly aroused, asked,"And why is that so?"

Dawn relaxed a little, knowing she could share these things with him. Giving a small giggle, she said,"I was.. You know.. When we first exchanged our hearts, I didn't know how the journey was going to be. But the biggest fear was when I saw how my body reacted towards girls. I mean I'm a girl and I've no problems with lesbians but this..." She shuddered.

It was Ash's turn to laugh at her peril,"So? You thought you were a lesbian? Oh man!"

She hissed under her breath,"This is serious Ketchum."

His laughter died down and he slowly asked, his voice still uneven due to all the laughing,"What did you find from the date then?"

A wave of relief flooded her face and with a exhaled breathe, she slowly said,"I like boys. I mean, I'm not a lesbian. Though I'm in a boy's body, I still like boys, forget it. Well, I'm glad that it is all clear now."

"Dammnit man!" Ash laughed a little more,"You looked so worried!"

"Hey! Don't tell me you didn't feel anything for any boy we met after the swapping?" She pointed an accusing finger at her. He gave her a smirk,"I know my priorities dear."

"And what does that mean?" She asked, her voice grumpy. He slowly whispered in her ear,"Well, I can use your body for pleasure. Though I've never tried it before, I honestly know I am not a gay.''

"Don't you dare touch me like that!" a vein popped up in Dawn's forehead while her face was still flushed pink. He slowly ran a hand over his torso, then to his sides, giving a slow groaning sound, saying,"You mean like this?" Dawn didn't even want to know how he learned that seductive moves.

Dawn quickly got up, allowing Pikachu to run ahead of her. She turned away, hiding her embarrassed face,"You moron! You pervert! Yuck!"

"Come on," he said, getting up, a little embarrassed too,"We've seen each other naked, though unintentionally. And you think this is yuck?"

"Don't repeat these!" She hissed,"Its..."

"I know," he laughed,"I'm sorry."

"So?" Dawn paused again.

"Sooooo?" He copied her.

"Am I forgiven?" She slowly asked.

"You won't be unless you accept that you're scary."

"I'm not scary Ash..."

"Then, demanding?"

"Ash..."

"Fine. Treat me to a buffet and you'll be forgiven.''

"Ash, I brought new shoes for you." She pleaded,"That must make you forgive me."

He put an assuring hand on her shoulder and smiled when she looked up. He gave a toothy grin, saying,"You are forgiven!"

"Next, I need to apologise to poetry-man's grandson," Dawn muttered and Ash slowly shook her to get her attention.

"Don't!" He sternly said,"That moron is the root of my uncomfortableness."

"Come on," Dawn mused,"He is not half bad.''

"You're not apologizing and neither am I," he said again, his voice commanding. She gave a long breath,"okay.''

"Let us head back to our room," Dawn said when neither of them moved for a second. Ash simply nodded,"Yeah."

Dawn had hardly turned around when her foot got tangled over the red carpet on which they were sitting and she tumbled backwards. Ash quickly grabbed her arms to make her regain balance but knowing that he had the size disadvantage now, lost his footing and landed on top of Dawn.

As Dawn's back came in contact with the floor, a sudden pain shot up in her body. She was glad the floor was carpeted and Ash's back was strong due to all the training. To her horror and delight, she found her own petite body on top of her, which meant Ash had landed on top of her.

As blue eyes met chocolatey brown, they were speechless. Their body was thumping hard inside their chests due to the close proximity and a pink blush was eminent on their faces. Ash didn't know how to react, just a moment ago they were enjoying and joking and now, they were on the floor, paralysed.

"Ash..." Dawn softly said,"I'm.."

"I... I should have.. Let me.. I.." Ash shuttered, hardly able to form words.

She bit her lips lightly, feeling their warmth mingling together. It was a beautiful yet heart exploding feeling.

"I think.." Ash started again but was unable when he saw Dawn staring at his lips. He was dense, but he still was a man at heart. He was about to close the distance between their lips when they heard a loud snicker.

"If you're willing to do all the intimate things here, then may be my presence will not affect it that much."

Ash knew that voice. He quickly got up, and extended his hand to pull Dawn up. Dawn, who was too embarrassed to even look at him in the eye, quickly got up and hurried away.

"Ash is embarrassed?" Gary chuckled and before leaving, winked at 'Dawn', saying,"I had come to make things better but.. Alas! I destroyed your moment again. Sorry, Dawn!"

Ash sighed. 'What's with Gary and his stupid timing?' He groaned internally, and the retreating image of Dawn came rushing back to his head. He quickly shook his head.

 _Shit! Why am I looking at Dawn that way? She is in my body and also, she is my friend! This look of lust is so wrong!_

 _I've known her for so long. We went on so many adventures together, faced so many difficulties together, cried and comforted each other. She was always there for me and had my back on so many occasions. I don't know why I feel so sad and helpless when she cries. She never showed any interest in me, well if I don't consider cheering me on gym battles or our high five. What if I'm..._

 _Is it lust...or simply any other feeling?_

 **...**

 **Kate: The updates can be slow for a while, I mean really slow. We have our mock exams, or rather pre-board exams within a few hours and then there is our Board Exam, just two months away.**

 **Author: Aw man. This sucks.**

 **Kate: Stop whining!**

 **Author: WTF.! anyways, read and review as always. All the reviews keep me going!**

 **Kate: Keep *Ahem* us going I think? Well, in many stories I see it is Dawn who realises things first, so how about a twist here?**

 **Author: whatever, I think you've said enough Rashi *pouts*. Till next time...**

 **Kate: take care!**

 **Darkestlightofhope and KateAvenir signing out!  
**


	8. Chapter 8: Departure, Diary and Hope

Dawn was glad when Serena didn't treat her badly the next morning. She was dreading to start a conversation to say sorry for her words but couldn't muster up the courage. However, she was glad that the blonde was not crying because of last night.

"You know Ash, it wouldn't surprise me if anyone says that my last date was Dawn instead of you," Serena giggled, amused by yesterday's turn of events. Who knew Ash could be such a lecturer? She definitely needed a heart to heart conversation.

Dawn stiffened. Serena hadn't figured that, had she? Dawn decided to take the risk,"Why do you think so?" Gary, who was walking beside them toward the harbour, had an amused look on his face. Ash, now thinking that his and Dawn's secret was going to be spilled out, began thinking plans to justify why he hadn't told anyone about the accident but couldn't think of anything. He groaned slightly, his grip on Piplup increasing, making the blue penguin chirp a little to bring him out of his thoughts.

Serena grimaced internally,"I wanted to see a Luvdisc. Normal Ash would have shown me his pokedex entry. We went for grabbing a bite and you took just one single burger! Oh man, how can I forget that you helped me while shopping. And during the movie..." Dawn, now feeling completely embarrassed, put her hand on Serena's mouth, giving a awkward laugh,"Don't tell everyone what we did on our date Serena!"

"That was..umm..maybe Ash was.." Ash shuttered. He was desperately trying to repair atleast a little bit of his manly honour. Oh man! Gary would never let him live peacefully because of it!

"Well, they say that influence is a big character in shaping personality!" Serena chirped in,"And I almost admire the new one. But, may be, the old Ash was better. You know? The one who wasn't influenced by Dawn so much?"

Ash sighed. Now, behaving in this way will be easier than explaining his and Dawn's mode of conduct. He sheepishly chuckled,"I will try to make _Ash_ behave himself."

Moreover, how would they explain that they had switched hearts? Ash didn't want to become one of Gary's experiment for sure.

"Well," Serena chuckled as she saw everyone's sad faces,"I must leave. I promised Bonnie that I will meet her soon."

Dawn gave her a fist bump, saying,"We will miss you."

A soft smile spread on Serena's lips,"I'll miss you too Ash. Thank you for everything! I'll never forget how you helped me."

Dawn sighed sheepishly, taking in Ash's credit as her own,"That's okay."

Serena then hugged whom she thought to be Dawn, sending shivers down Ash's spine. Trying to maintain his cool self, he hugged her back.

"I would like to meet you again Dawn. You're so sweet," Serena said happily. Then leaning closer to Dawn's ears, she sweetly whispered,"I was unable to catch his attention. Make sure you catch his for sure. Ash is a great guy!"

Ash stiffened. Did Serena just give Dawn or him, love advice?

Serena smiled as if nothing had happened and then after shaking hands with Gary, who, like old times told her that he would smell her later, Serena proceeded to board the ship which would carry her to Kalos.

Ash was still wondering about what Serena said. Did it possibly mean that his blue haired friend had feelings for him?

His head snapped up when he heard footsteps and saw Serena giving him a sly wink and then rushed over to where Dawn was.

"I almost ... forgot to give... You...this," Serena breathlessly said while putting her palm on her knees, supporting her weight on her knees.

"What?" Dawn asked,"Did you leave anything behind?" Her expression soon changed. She witnessed Serena rising on her toes and swiftly pecked her on her cheeks. Then without any further words, ran towards the boat.

"Did Ash get a kiss?" Gary asked, still processing the things,"Holy cow!"

Ash stared at Dawn, who was still looking shocked then at the retreating figure of Serena. That girl sure knew how to make things interesting.

... ... ... ... ... ...

"Okay," Gary spoke up,"We are leaving for Vermilion now. Then from there we will go to Seafoam Islands then Cinnabar Island, as you all want."

"Yup! Thats the plan!" Dawn spoke up. Pikachu climbed up on her shoulder and she scratched his cheek lightly, smiling as she saw Ash feeding Piplup. They had made a deal and decided to switch their Pokémon teams to Sinnoh Gang.

"The ship has many trainers Ash," Gary spoke up,"You can have many practice battles there."

Ash beamed,"Right!"

"Are you going to challenge some trainers too Dawn?" Gary asked, teasing them.

Ash understood that he bluffed out. Not bothering to reply, he ran to his room, saying he would pass the offer this time. Seeing Gary so loveydovey with him, or the blunette whose body he was possessing now, pained him a little. And now he knew why.

Dawn sighed, seeing Ash running away and averted her gaze from her physical self,"I'm going to challenge some trainers. Ready Pikachu?"

"Pikapi!"

... ... ... ...

...,... ...

Ash closed the door behind him and curled himself up in the bathroom floor. He even left Piplup behind.

"This is not good," he spoke to himself,"Whenever I'm near her, or him, or me... Ugggh... Whenever I'm near Dawn, why do I keep freaking out?"

He quickly got up, supporting himself against the wall. He glanced at the mirror, not knowing he had been crying.

"Shit!" He uttered,"I swear I didn't want to make you cry." Wiping his face, he ran his hands over her face,"I wonder what it would feel to touch you. Not like this, when we will be normal Dawn."

His hands gripped the sink tightly and he bit his lip.

"You deserve someone better, someone who will love you, not greedy for your body. I... I began noticing you after we switched bodies. You don't deserve a man like me..."

It was true. Earlier he was oblivious to all these. For him, female travelling partner and male travelling partner made no difference. He used to travel with just one goal in mind,' Gotta Catch'em All!' Misty was like a tough and strong older sister, May a newbie trying to learn and explore, hoping to find her own place in this world, Iris, a wild and loud girl with great obsession with dragon types and Serena, a cheerful girl with wonderful personality.

But what made Dawn different from other girl he had travelled with?

His mind was running in circles as he was looking for an answer. Had his feelings emerged when they switched bodies? Or would he feel the same way if it were some other girl, or boy even, Ash shivered, in place of Dawn?

"Damn," Ash said through gritted teeth,"Why is everything so confusing?"

Getting up, he wiped away his tears and washed his face. Then he came out of the bathroom, chuckling on seeing Piplup going through her bag to have something to eat. His mind needed a break. He needed to figure something out.

"Hey Piplup," Ash chuckled,"Want something to eat?"

"Pip!"

Rummaging through the pile of clothes, he found a small box of Pokémon food and gave some of it to Piplup who sat down, munching slowly.

He sighed on seeing the mess he had created. Deciding to put everything back again, he picked up what appeared like a small scarf and placed it inside. His eyes fell on a small scrap book lying open near her bag.

"Her diary?" He whispered to himself.

Out of corner of his eyes, he saw Piplup sleeping on the floor and he slowly picked him up and placed him beside himself on the bed.

Then tucking himself inside the blanket, he turned the first page.

The pink diary's front page had a small picture of Dawn as a toddler, with the inscription,"List of perfect boyfriends."

"Interesting!" He chuckled, as if he got a treasure. He slowly opened the page, taking deep breathes. He knew Dawn wasn't too interested in relationship, her main goal was Grand Festival but surely she had her hormonal fluctuations. Ash wanted to know what interested his friend.

 **Entry 1:** Lucas (Rolling his eyes at the unknown name, he began reading.)

 **Age** : 18

 **Reason** \- _He is a good guy, but a little wimpy. As a boyfriend, he won't be an ideal choice for me as he hardly talks to me. But he is quite courageous and hard working. That is why he is still able to work with grumpy professor Rowan. That needs guts. XD_

(Ash had never met Lucas and wondered if he was someone from her hometown. Shrugging it off, he went to the next page. The picture didn't even say much, except that he had same hair colour as that of Dawn.)

 **Entry** 2: Kenny.

 **Age** : 17

 **Reason** _\- he is funny and sweet. He was my first Friend in childhood. Though he irritates me with his nickname, he is kinda cool. And a tough opponent too. But I can never imagine himself as someone... Uggh..special. He had picked up Piplup as his beginner Pokémon too but I must say, he sure has worked hard and grown as a person. But, I'm gonna smack him if he calls me Dee-Dee again! Seriously, what was he thinking while blurting that nickname in front of Ash! I was so embarrassed! And when he challenged Ash, saying that I'll have to travel with him if he defeats Ash, I was scared. Because that would mean leaving Ash behind. And I really didn't want that._

(Ash chuckled. She wrote the exact same way she spoke. He remembers how Dawn used to create funny excuses to avoid discussing how she got the nickname, though he understands now. He smiled to himself on remembering how a girl, who is otherwise strong and collected, can get so flustered over such a small thing. And Dawn never told him about that bet! But why did Dawn didn't want to leave?

He knew only Dawn could answer that. Turning the page, he gave out a gasp.)

 **Entry** 3: Paul

 **Age** \- 18

 **Reason** \- _Opposite interacts may work for others but not for me. He is a great guy, loves his Pokémon now, though it is because of Ash, oh this boy can change anyone. Wait I'm getting offtrack here. Coming back to Paul, he is strong and even can be classified as handsome, but he has his eyes fixed on someone else. May be he is more dense than Ash to even realize it._

(Ash felt kind of relieved. At least Dawn didn't feel something about his biggest and toughest rival. Clutching his fists, he sweared,"If you date him Dawn, I swear I'll kill him then fetch you down and make you eat the poffins I bake. And you know how good of a cook I'm.")

 **Entry** 4: Gary Oak

 **Age** \- 17

 **Reason** \- _he is everything a girl can ask for. He is sweet, funny and even handsome. He is intelligent as well as determined. Sometimes I feel like he likes me too but I know, he likes Leaf, a girl whom he met in Cinnabar Island. I'm happy for him. Though I want to swipe off his smirk every time I see it, he is quite a boy. I'm happy we met him, all thanks to Ash._

(Ash smirked. Gary liked Leaf. At least he had something to trouble the Professor in making with.)

 **Entry** 5: Conway

Seriously! Dawn found someone as creepy as Conway to be attractive enough to be boyfriend material? His fists balled up unconsciously on remembering how the spectacled man used to sniff Dawn like a piece of meat.

Ash shrugged. He didn't even want to read further. Why would he want to know what in other men interests Dawn? Absentmindedly, he flipped through the pages, wishing for his name to pop up.

After entry 7, the pages were blank and his earlier giddy enthusiasm was now replaced by a gloomy expression.

Groaning, he hissed,"Fine, I'm dense. Okay. But she doesn't even she see me as a boyfriend material. Talk about embarrassing."

"She picked Kenny, Lucas, Gary, Paul, Conway, Barry even Brock. Why not me?" He began massaging his temples, groaning and sulking while going through the empty pages. She travelled with him for the first half of her journey, and still found nothing that interested her? Seriously? Was he that bad as a boyfriend material?

"Maybe I'm." He answered for himself.

He finally turned to the last page, his heart heavy and almost broken. He sighed loudly as he turned to the last page, all hopes leaving his soul. He would have thrown the book into the bag if something hadn't caught is attention. His eyes were almost popping out of his sockets.

There was a picture of him and Dawn together which was taken after their first tag battle against the two twin brothers with Cyndaquil and Totodile.

Eagerly, he read on, smiling like an maniac all the time.

 **Entry 0- Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town**

 **Age** \- 17

 **Reason** \- _I don't have any reason. He is quiet smart though his brains works only while he is battling. He is determined, strong willed, enthusiastic, stubborn and even handsome. But these qualities are not his parameters. He is more than that. He is my best friend. With him I don't have to be someone I'm not, I don't have to put on a mask of being happy. I can be myself._

 _He makes me happy. He gives me strength and the hope to go on. I won't be lying if I say that he is my lifeline._

 _He is someone whom I can turn blindly to. I know he has my back. It doesn't matter where he goes I'll always cheer for him. I was so so so happy when he won the Kalos League. I caught the first flight to Pallet Town to congratulate him personally. Though I couldn't muster up the courage to go and greet him when he had brought such a beautiful girl from Kalos with him. So, I left the bouquet with a note, thanks to Togekiss._

Ash scratched his chin. Dawn saw him coming home but didn't stay back. His Mom knew she was leaving as Serena was with him but why didn't she say anything? 'Why didn't Dawn say anything?' A thought popped up in Ash's mind,'Was she unhappy as I was with Serena? Does she not trust me enough to share everything?' He took a deep breath, hurt that she had hidden something which was hurting her, from sharing it with him. Weren't they supposed to be true and honest with each other? She said Ash always had her back. But didn't that mean he should know what was going on with her? Was she hurt because... She was jealous?

He kept reading hoping to find out.

 _He doesn't have any romantic feelings toward me, or any girl for that matter. But I thought we could be something more, after all I heard he had never traded Pokémon before (Though he had traded Butterfree, he ended up getting him back again.), and if he trusted his Ambipom to me, it sure means that he trusts me, right?_

 _And I am not sure why I used to cheer him up in a cheerleader outfit. Though it was embarrassing, I never cared. His smile made up for that. I just hopes the high fives meant more to him._

 _And as a bonus, Buneary likes Pikachu and his Pokémon love me and I love his. Atleast if we become an item, though it is impossible , I don't have to worry about his Pokémon rejecting me. Knowing him, he would pick his buddies before his life. And that's why he is special. He is Ash. Just plain, simple and sweet Ash Ketchum from Pallet town._

 _Though he looks more handsome without his cap but he doesn't need to know that, does he? ;)_

Closing the diary with a grin, he placed it back in the bag and smiled.

 _May be I have a chance. Maybe she feels for me too._

.

.

.

* * *

...

Dawn sighed as she gave Nurse Joey her pokeballs, with Pikachu jumping from her shoulders to Nurse Joey's arms.

"I'll fetch you later, okay?" Dawn giggled as Pikachu gave her a loud Pikapi.

The boat ride was going to take two long days and she had plenty of time to relax too. Deciding to check up on Ash and her Pokemon's, she giggled as she found Gary chatting with a brown haired girl through videophone.

 _We were about to kiss again._

 _What is going on with Ash? What the hell is happening to me? Am I.. falling for him?_

She had a crush on him since he had saved her from team Rocket. But thats all it was. She had a crush on her travelling partner who would leave once he gets all his batch and competes in the Sinnoh League and she would have no choice but to say goodbye and search for another place to compete.

Her heart always ached whenever she saw anything that reminded her of him, like Hearthome City's Tag Battle Tournament or whenever Mesprit came to visit her. She knew it was because she missed her best Friend and her first travelling partner, who taught her everything she knows.

She bit her lip anxiously on remembering how much she cried after Ash boarded the train and how her mother had hugged while saying,"If it is destined, you'll be with him again." That time she believed that she was sad because she lost her friend who had a habit of attracting trouble. But recent events has shaken her nerves.

She crossed two continents just to congratulate him on his league victory? Wouldn't just a phonecall would have made him happy on knowing that she was watching and cheering for him, like old times?

She gave a soft, hopeless laugh at her peril. She wanted to see his face as he would hug his mother, narrating his battles with Alain. Though she ran away on seeing Serena with him after handing the bouquet to Togekiss to pass it to Delia, she hadn't missed the cheerful stride in his step as he was going back home. Staying hidden had its own benefits.

She understands what her mother meant that day.

She was hopelessly in love with him the entire time while being oblivious to everything and ignoring everyone's comment, shrugging them off like false rumours.

But even if she loved him, did he feel the same? Will he accept her or leave once again after swapping back bodies?

And suddenly swapping back to become normal seemed like a bad idea.

She didn't care knocking as she entered the room she was sharing with Ash and Gary. She found Ash sleeping peacefully on the bed, with Piplup in his arms. Dawn giggled softly. She knew Ash always slept with Pikachu and though the blue penguin Pokémon was no replacement for the electric mouse, he would be there to give him company.

She took a seat beside his bed, feeling amused as she watched her sleepy face.

A little drool was on her lips and Dawn wondered whether she actually drooled while sleeping or whether it was because of Ash. Her inner conflict to wake him and tell him how she felt was strong but she pushed the feeling aside, a soft smile adoring her lips.

"Ash... Pikachu defeated a Lucario on his own. Gliscor is not afraid of heights, Buizel has grown so strong, Torterra is a real nightmare, Starraptor is the strongest Bird I've ever seen and Infernape can even take down a water Pokémon without much trouble," Dawn felt her voice filled with admiration and awe,"You've grown so much. So strong. And I know it won't hold you back. You'll grow stronger. Ash, I know you'll."

Getting up, she felt Ash mumbling something in his sleep.

Scooping down, she brushed away the blue bangs on her face, chuckling at her condition. She had fallen in love with him when she is trapped inside his body.

"I know I shouldn't do this but," she placed a small kiss on his forehead,"Good night Ash."

Smiling a little, she picked up her change clothes, not noticing a brown haired boy smirking as he witnessed everything though the door kept ajar.

Once Dawn was inside the bathroom, Gary entered the room, giving a small whistle,"Looks like Ash has fallen for the sleepy beauty."

... ... ... ...

.

* * *

.

.

 _He sat beside her and directed his gaze towards the beautiful lake. The blue water was slowly splashing against the shore, as if teasing the shore to stop the waves. He was thinking of a way to ask her about the question._

 _Seeing his eyebrows creased together, she understood he was focusing hard about something._

 _"Is something bothering you Ash?" she asked, concerned._

 _"How did you know?'' he asked, surprised at her correct guess._

 _"Whenever you think hard, you kind of zone out and your eyebrows crease together,"she giggled on seeing his surprised face staring at her in disbelief._

 _He raised his eyebrows and playfully asked," Am I that transparent Dawn?"_

 _"Or may be I am intelligent?" she playfully chuckled while pinching his cheeks._

 _"What is love Dawn?" He asked out of the blue, getting direct at his question. He had the attention of a baby and patience as thin as air. After all, he hated beating around the bush._

 _"Why do you want to know?"_

 _"Because I'm 15 yet I know nothing about it.. I asked Brock, he started daydreaming about nurse Joey again," Ash chuckled._

 _"And that's why you came here?" Dawn giddily asked, turning to face him. She was glad that Ash was dense to even differentiate between blush and a smile._

 _"Yeah," the Raven haired boy laughed,"I can always count on you, right."_

 _She smiled at him,"Right, Ash."_

 _"So tell me..." He paused as he saw her taking a deep sigh._

 _"Love is when.. When you want to stay with a person forever, accept each others fault and differences and respect the others choice. Helping in times of need, caring and supporting each other. The pain of separation as well as happiness of reunion, they come under the feeling of love Ash,"she explained, the tight sensation in her belly returning, it was as if someone had set fire there._

 _Ash lay on the ground and closed his eyes. He replied,"The feeling which I have for mom, that kind of feeling?"_

 _She giggled at his answer then slowly but cheerfully said,"That's love too,but this love is different. This love gives butterflies flying feeling in your stomach whenever you see that person, you think about that person all the day, want to talk to him all the time and dream about the future together." She blushed while explaining._

 _He slowly got up, supporting his weight on his elbows as he looked directly in her eyes, making her nervous. Seeing his direct stare, she shifted in her seat, biting her lower lip and broke the gaze to look at the endless sky, much to his discomfort. He whispered," Then does that mean that I love you?"_

 _She was taken aback by his comment. She blushed harder and without looking at him asked,"How will I know, I don't know."_

 _"I mean, I like talking to you, caring for you as well as want to have you by my side forever. I don't know why but whenever I see you crying, I feel sad too. I want to absorb your pain but can't understand how to do that. And it drives me crazy if I'm unable to help you. Well if it's love, then may be I am in love with you Dawn," he happily replied._

 _Dawn was blushing like mad. She knew that he was speaking without knowing what he meant, but she believed it came from the bottom of his heart. Without even looking at him,she slowly said,"I love you too Ash. But when we get old, I want you to prove what you said today, if you really feel that way. I will wait for you to realize the meaning of love. Till then, we are the best buddies right?" she asked while raising her hand._

 _He got up and gave her a high five._

 _"Promise",he said._

Ash woke up with a start, his now soft hands wiping away the sweat on the forehead The room was pitch black and he could somehow make out the figure of Piplup sleeping beside him and silhouette of his own body two feet away from his own bed.

"A dream?" He whispered as he slowly got up, not wanting to wake anyone up.

As soon as he entered the bathroom, he sighed,"Oh.. That conversation. Dawn and I had it while we were in Sinnoh."

And then the sudden realization hit him.

Did he propose her back then?

And didn't she say that she would wait for him to understand his feelings?

Unknown to him, the young Professor in making whispered silently,"Thank you Umbreon. You can sleep now."

As Gary lay down on his bed again, he slowly whispered to himself,"I hope the dream which Umbreon craved out from your memories will make you realize what you feel about him Dawn."

... ... ... ...

* * *

In the morning, the trainer, the coordinator and the professor were extremely happy for their own reasons.

Ash was happy as he finally knew he had a chance to win her over. Gary was glad Dawn looked happy( he presumed it was because of the dream) and for Dawn, she finally heard that there was another contest coming up in Seafoam Islands and almost half of her happiness came with the small kiss she stole from Ash yesterday.

"Okay!" Gary spoke up,"There in Seafoam Islands, we are going inside the Ice Cave. I heard that the Pokemon's there are falling extremely ill."

"Poor guys,"Dawn whispered.

Gary nodded,"Yeah. And hopefully, we can figure out how to heal them."

Ash pumped his fists in the air, declaring,"Count me in!" Piplup, who was perched on his head gave a chirp of his own,"Pippip lup !"

"Well then," Dawn spoke up, facing toward the medical centre of the ship,"I'll go get Pikachu and the other's and train. A-Dawn, you better prepare for the contest."

"Okay,"Ash groaned as he watched Gary walking away. Then turning to Dawn's retreating figure, his eyes were fixed on his own moving body, his eyes matching Dawn's every step.

"Pip?"

Shit. He almost forgot he had Piplup with him. Scratching the beanie on his head, he spoke up,"Okay Buddy," his smile covered up his nervous chuckle,"Lets make some moves of our own and win this thing, okay?"

"Lup!"

And he finally had an answer.

He now knows his attraction towards her was always there, since their Sinnoh Adventures. He was dense back then but not anymore. He always admired her beauty, her intelligence and her kindness. He loved to see her smile. He hated when she took contest losses to her heart. He was grateful that he got a chance to realize his true feelings.

He was attracted to her, who wouldn't be? She was beautiful with an excellent body! Her blue eyes had so much depth that Ash could never comprehend. She was different from all other girls he used to travel with because she didn't hate any particular type or didn't have to look around to have a goal set in her mind. She was strong, crazy, rebellious, determined and cheerful. But most importantly, he knew he was attracted to her because she always cheered him up, she stuck with him no matter how hard the situation got, she put happiness of her Pokémon before her own.

She was so like him. She was his best friend. His partner in crime. She knew what he was thinking, what made him vulnerable or what made him laugh. He knew she would support him till her last breath. She had full confidence in him, cheered him when he was losing against Paul, believing he could defeat him, stuck with him even after he lost to Kenny, held his hand thus putting herself in danger when tragedy stuck in Alamos Town, kicked sense into him when he was being arrogant like the Shaymin and gave him the necessary push he needed sometimes.

She always believed that he was strong even when he had doubts about his own capabilities.

But he knew his attraction was not just physical. His dream made him realize it.

He loved her because she was Dawn. A girl who had stolen her heart without even knowing.

... ... ...

* * *

 _Hey_ _guys! I know it has been a long time since this story was updated but writing this chapter was exceptionally hard. I don't want to keep dragging this unnecessarily so I had to think hard to make them realise their inner feeling._

 _Well, everything is back on track now. And I'm gonna start writing the next chapter soon!  
_

 _Well, lets see how many reviews can this chapter get! If it gets more than 8, I'll update more quickly as a reward! So? What are you waiting for? Hit the review button!_


	9. Chapter 9: Understanding

When the trio got down from the ship, the first thing they did was to check into the Pokémon Centre.

"You are Professor Gary, I assume?" Nurse Joey sweetly asked while Ash and Dawn were standing behind him.

"Yeah," Gary spoke up, his voice now sounding matured and not carefree,"I'm here to investigate the case of the sick Pokémons."

"I'm glad you arrived on such short notice!" Nurse Joey bowed gracefully and then her gaze landed on Ash, who was laughing on hearing something Dawn had said. Nurse Joey, not knowing that it was Dawn whom she was talking too, cheered ecstatically,"Oh my God! I can't believe it! League Champion Ash is here!"

Ash, on seeing Nurse Joey shaking hands with his physical self, smiled awkwardly. Well, guess that he have to let go of some of the appreciation while he was stuck inside of her.

Dawn, on the other hand, sweatdropped as Nurse Joey was exclaiming how wonderful he was at the league, how great the battle between Greninja and Charizard was, how eager she was to see him as he won. Dawn sighed internally. Ash sure had many fans, specifically girls, who were beautiful and cute, who were smitten by Ash and adored him.

This thought was supposed to make her feel happy for him instead she felt jealous. Ash was dense, there was no doubt about it yet he perfectly caught so much attention that it made her uneasy. Shrugging it off to avoid thinking herself as another smitten fan, she giggled as Nurse Joey was ignoring Gary's words and giving special treatment to Ash.

"I appreciate it Nurse Joey but can you give us our room keys; we are tired from the journey," Dawn sweetly said while handing over her Pokémon to the cherry haired Nurse.

"Sure!" Nurse Joey took her pokeballs, Pikachu following her,"Ash, your room number is 7, Dawn, yours is 9 and Gary, you got number 10. Is that okay?"

Dawn nodded and took the keys, handing them to their respective owners, making sure she got Ash's key. She wasn't in a mood to face another bluff.

Watching Dawn walk away, Ash stretched a little and spoke up,"Gotta get some rest. See you later Gary."

"Seeing Nurse Joey flirting with Ash made you tired?" Gary joked.

"What are you talking about?" Ash asked confused,"Nurse Joey was just praising him!"

Gary face palmed at the answer. He knew Ash was dense but seeing Dawn behaving so oblivious was beyond him. He just waved her off,"Smell ya later Dawny!"

"Don't give he-me nicknames!" Ash snickered.

"As you say Love-sick girl!" Gary laughed at his own joke before walking away. Ash, who was silently hoping it to be true, called out after Gary,"I don't want you to smell me pervert! And I'm not lovesick!"

Gary half jokingly winked and waved him off, disappearing behind the counter. Ash gave a relaxed sigh on seeing Gary gone and happily made his way back to his room.

"Okay," Gary nodded and turned to face Nurse Joey,"Lets see what's troubling those Pokémons."

"This way," Nurse Joey said, guiding Gary toward the treatment area of the centre.

* * *

Dawn was now rubbing her short, messed up black hair with a towel. Nothing is more refreshing than a hot bath.

She liked it this way. There was no need of spending hours to get her hair straight and she could freely move out of the bathroom in a towel. 'Advantage of being a boy,' she giggled.

Picking up a green shirt with brown pants and matching sneakers, she slipped a heavy jacket on, since it always snowed in the Seafoams island. Then putting on Ash's cap on her head, she decided to head out to explore.

'I think I'm forgetting something important!' She tried her best to remember but her mind came up blank. Shrugging it off, she giddily went out only to come back to the reception counter in a rush.

"What's the matter Ash?" Nurse Joey asked.

"My Pokémons!" She said with a ting of embarrassment.

"They're all fine and ready!" Nurse Joey handed her a tray of balls and Pikachu jumped on her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek affectionately.

"Thanks Nurse Joey!"

"Have a safe trip!"

"I'll!"

"Pika!"

* * *

Ash was lying on his bed, his blue locks wet, signifying that he had just come out of shower.

"I know I'm in love with her, but is she in love with me too?" He absentmindedly asked himself, blow drying his hair.

She had dropped many hints, though unconsciously, but that little things always gave him hope. She didn't kick or push him away when they were about to kiss. Didn't it mean that she liked or at least was attracted to him too?

Groaning, he clutched his hair in despair.

Then she was jealous on seeing him with Serena and thus left, just leaving a note behind. Moreover, his Mom hadn't even bothered to tell him about it!

"Why are girls so difficult?" He asked himself, his voice echoing in the empty room.

Now that he was sure he felt a special connection towards her, how was he going to prove that she liked him back? Or at least was interested in him? It wasn't that he could just walk to her and say,'Hey Dawn, I know its sudden but I realized I like you. Do you like me back?'

She was sure to kick him away if he did anything like that. Or she could simply laugh at his misery, not that Dawn would ever do that. He was sure his mind was playing tricks and imagining things.

Should he try to woo her or please her by giving her gifts? Now that he was stuck inside of her, what would he get her? Even if he gifts her anything, it will be either something stupid, -Ash had gifted Gary a spoon on his birthday-, or something which Ash can use. That would erase his chance if he has one.

"Why are things so complicated? Can't we, no, can't I go back to the dense cell I was in till now? No frustration or anything! Damn Dawn! You're messing with my mind! Aah!"

Deciding to lay on the bed, he tried focusing on what he could do to be sure she liked him back. Drawing up blank, he got up, rubbing his temples.

"I just need a walk to clear my mind!"

Grabbing a coat and shoes, he ran out, making sure to collect his Pokémon from Nurse Joey.

* * *

"This is strange," Gary said as he was examining the Pokemons, Nurse Joey looking at him in worry.

"I've treated them but new pokemons start appearing everyday," she said, feeling sorry for the seal and dewgong resting peacefully. Another Pokémon, who looked heavily exhausted and was being treated by Chansey, caught Gary's attention.

"All these are Pokémon which live mainly in caves or water. This kingler is utterly exhausted for unknown reason. I think if we have to treat them and make sure nothing extreme happens, we need to find why they look so tired," Gary spoke up, his head processing all details.

"There is a ice cave nearby. Maybe it will help in your research," The cherry haired nurse said, her worry evident in the slight wavering of her voice. Gary nodded to signify he had heard, examining the Pokemons.

* * *

Dawn stopped dead in her tracks outside a cafe. Through the glass panels, she saw Ash, cozily sipping what appeared to be coffee, with a complete stranger. What is the stupid boy doing?

Pulling Ash's cap down on her face, she picked up Pikachu and quickly put him inside her coat, only his head peeping out through the zip.

"Pi?"

"Sorry Pikachu! Can you please cooperate a little?" She softly asked.

"Pika!"

Stroking his fur, Dawn quietly entered the cafe, taking a seat behind Ash, trying to hide from his view but making sure to be in hearing range. Why was she getting angry? Because he was enjoying with a stranger in her body?

She knew he wasn't into guys but that didn't stop her heart from beating erratically.

Ash smiled awkwardly when the guy picked up his hand and placed a kiss on her palm. Trying to be polite, he slowly pulled his hand away, a sorry smile on his face,"I can understand that you're interested in me but..."

The brown haired man smiled sympathetically, scratching his nose,"There is someone else, right?"

Ash bit his lower lip to stop himself from blurting something he would regret. Yes, he had someone in his mind, but how would he ignore the stranger in front of him? Or tell him that he wasn't into guys?

The man smiled sadly on seeing the blunette squirming in front of him, lost in thought. Placing a hand on her head to ruffle her hair, he spoke up,"It was nice meeting you Dawn. If somehow things don't work out between you and your love interest, remember that I'll be there."

What was the man thinking? Telling him that things might not work out between him and Dawn? Did he know how strong their bond was? Or how much he liked her? How much he wanted or cared about her?

Pushing all thoughts at the back of his mind, he nodded, trying not to spoil Dawn's image in front of anyone,"Sure. Thanks for understanding, Brendan."

Dawn watched the brown haired boy going away and her gaze shifted back to Ash. He hadn't accepted his proposal but she knew he wouldn't, not in her body atleast. Another thought pricked her mind, Brendan said that he understood how he was feeling. Ash didn't say it out aloud but was there someone who had his attention at present? He hadn't denied it either!

She was so engrossed in thought that she didn't see the Pokémon Master in making leaving the café.

* * *

"Seriously, I look away for a second and he is gone?" Dawn muttered as she was walking past some shops. She heard a small chirp from Pikachu, who was still resting cozily under her jacket.

"Feeling cold Buddy?" She sweetly asked.

"Pika!"

"Yup its cold but you're more concerned about eating than cold huh?" Dawn laughed as she deciphered what he was saying.

Recently, she had started understanding what the electric mouse wanted to say and she believed it was because she was spending more time with him. But did it mean she was losing her touch with Piplup? Shifting the painful thought at the back of her mind, she began wandering aimlessly.

"Look Pikachu!" Dawn pointed at a random shop,"This shop is best known for its seals! I'm sure it'll be helpful in contests!"

"Pi! Pikapika! Pikachu!"

A blush crept up her face as she asked,"What do you mean by I am always thinking about Dawn?"

The electric mouse gave a small laugh as he nuzzled in her coat, not bothering to reply. Sweatdropping at his behaviour, Dawn wondered if Ash used to talk about her in her absence.

Shaking her head, she softly patted her cheeks, whispering,"Get a hold girl. He is stuck as long as you both don't turn back normal."

Sure she was sad as they had to go separate ways but she knew it was for the best. She wanted to continue travelling with him but not at the cost of their dreams.

"Mom?" She slowly whispered while putting a hand on her chest, feeling her calm heartbeat,"You said Dad left as he wanted to continue his journey as a trainer, leaving you all alone. What guarantees that Ash won't do the same if we get together? Is a heartbreak worth it?"

"Pi?"

"Did I wake you up?"

"Chaa!"

"Sorry Pikachu," Dawn chuckled on seeing Pikachu trying to sleep in her coat as she stroked his fur. She softly asked,"What do you think, will Dawn make a good partner for me?"

"Chu?"

"Hey don't give me that smirk!" Dawn giggled as Pikachu licked her cheek affectionately. She asked,"Well, won't you feel left out or ignored if I get together with someone?"

The rodent shook his head, making Dawn bite her lip as she deciphered what Pikachu was saying. She asked,"What do you mean by you understand my feelings?"

"Cha! Pikapi!"

"You think Dawn is a nice girl?"

The rodent smiled wildly,"Pika!"

"And you think she likes me too?" Dawn asked with a blush on her cheeks.

"Chu!"

Dawn giggled as Pikachu smirked,"You want me to figure that out myself huh?"

She began walking, her thoughts back at one point. Maybe Ash felt the same way as she did or maybe he didn't. But, was she ready to risk her friendship because of it?

* * *

Ash was walking down the snow covered roads, humming to himself. His eyes sparkled on seeing a wild Froslass moving freely with Smoochum following her behind.

"Hey there!"

Ash turned back to see some men looking in her direction. Smiling, she waved,"Can I help you?"

The group of three chuckled, making Ash raise his eyebrows. A blonde man, about two years older than him stepped forward and waved the others off. The others nodded and left, Ash watching them curiously.

"Sorry if I scared you," the blonde chuckled nervously.

"Neh, don't worry about it!" He replied, his heart thumping wildly. What was with Dawn and all the male attention?

"My name is Kin," the blonde said, a little awkward. Ash was getting a sinking feeling in his stomach as he slowly said,"Dawn Berlitz."

"Oh! I know who you're!" The man suddenly said, excitement dripping from his words,"I've watched you in all your contests! You're spectacularly amazing!"

Ash knew normally Dawn would be flattered by the praise but he just wanted to get rid of the blonde, so in a disinterested tone, he spoke up,"Thanks. I appreciate it. If you don't mind, I gotta go."

He bowed slightly, but before he could leave, Kin grabbed his wrist, making him turn around.

"Wait!" He panicked as Ash raised his eyebrows, his eyes focused hard on the grip.

"Wait!" Kin spoke up again,''I know its sudden, but please, I was always your fan. I was always keeping track on you, wanted to see you rise to the top and achieve your dreams."

Ash halted. Dawn had a stalker, for such a long time? And they had no clue!

"Hell with that!" He barked out but Kin's grip didn't loose. Kin continued,"I was so happy when I saw you in Cerulean City and I followed you here, so that I can talk to you; you've to hear me out."

This was seriously creeping out Ash.

"Sir, please, stop making a scene!" Ash barked out, clearly not wanting to see his friend's face on the top of Poke Magazine because of his carelessness. It would seriously ruin her reputation.

"Dawn! I really love you! All this time, I looked out for you! You must give me a chance!" Kin was almost all over her, grabbing her arms, trying to stop Ash from moving. Ash tried to shove him away, but he couldn't help but feel a little weak physically. He was about to slap Kin only to gasp when he saw a fist connecting with Kin's face.

Turning to see who had interrupted, his mouth fell open on seeing himself standing there, which meant Dawn had somehow found him and punched the creepy man. He couldn't be more thankful yet conflicted.

"Why you!" Kin hissed as he got up, rubbing his swollen cheek. That was definitely going to leave a bruise.

"The lady doesn't want your attention, at least respect her privacy if you really care for her," Dawn spat out in his direction. A smirk formed on Kin's lips as he harshly whispered out,"And you're the one to say, Ash Ketchum? You left her when you were done in Sinnoh!"

Ash hated himself as he heard those words. Did he really leave her for his own benefit? Before he could reply, Dawn spoke up,"I left because I had a dream to fulfil instead of stalking someone. And I fully understand if Dawn is angry because of it! But I also know that she will understand. Our dream took us in separate direction!"

Ash was hearing silently, he knew how much she wanted to continue travelling with him but couldn't due to Buneary's poke modelling career. He couldn't stop in Sinnoh either!

"So?" Kin glared at Dawn, who was holding her own against him. Ash saw that a few passing by had stopped to see the scene. It is not everyday that you find a Top Coordinator and a League Champion fighting a random stranger.

"Lets leave," Ash swiftly pulled Dawn's hand as he was walking away. Dawn didn't resist.

"Go away! Loser! Once you're done here, you'll leave Dawn like always!" Kin's shouted after them,"And then I will have her, I will!"

Ash's fists balled up in anger as he swore to at least break a bone of the creep but before he knew it, Dawn was gone. A sharp whimper caught his attention as he turned to see Dawn delivering another punch at Kin.

Dawn was beyond furious. She had her insecurities and the thought of Ash leaving again was still left a sour taste in her mouth. But when someone else was demeaning and insulting her best friend like that, she couldn't help it. He was a strong man but every man has a weakness. Ash knows he is strong but even he, sometimes, doubts his capabilities. Dawn knew it since Paul was able to easily manipulate this to mentally weaken his spirit. And she really didn't want a repeat of what happened in Sinnoh with Paul.

She couldn't punch Paul when he had insulted Ash at the Oreburgh Gym since Brock stopped her rampage and Paul had easily blocked her punch but now, she was strong, thanks to the heart swap. She was sure to teach Kin a lesson he needed.

"That's none of your damn business!" She spat out, punching him again. The man beneath her whimpered in pain but his smirk didn't go away.

Ash was now at Dawn's side, desperately trying to pull her out from assaulting Kin. As much as he wanted to make sure his physical body was unharmed, he also didn't want her to get any injuries which he would regret later. He didn't want her to end up in a hospital. Being a boy, he knew how painful fists fight can get.

Moreover, he added in his brain that he could teach this creep a lesson later, when he would be able to do so without restriction. His top priority was to get the fuming girl out of trouble.

"You can't deny that its true," Kin cockily said and Dawn, who was sure that she had broken his nose, was left speechless. She stopped struggling against Ash who then pulled her away from Kin. Somehow Dawn felt that Kin had delivered the final blow without even touching her.

"We are leaving. Kin, please don't do this. Don't stalk me anymore," Ash spoke up and before Kin could say anything, carried Dawn away from the bleeding man.

He wanted to hit the brunette so badly but if injuring Dawn was its price, he was glad he was restricting himself.

* * *

As Dawn was sitting at the edge of bed with Pikachu slowly rubbing her back and Piplup on her lap, she couldn't help but feel a little cheerful. But that didn't mean she was oblivious to the furious boy beside her.

"What the heck was that?" He slowly asked through gritted teeth.

She shrugged,''What was what?"

He narrowed his eyes at her as he replied,"I was trying to avoid a scene because you know, we aren't exactly what you call common or infamous people."

"So?"

He hissed as he glared at her,"So? So! You know that we might have to face press or media! I thought you were the sensible one!"

She barked out,"Hell with Media! He was a damn Stalker! He deserved it! I should have broken his jaw too!"

Ash, who was already angry, perked up more,"Can't you think about the consequences? I stopped myself from punching him to make sure you don't land in trouble and then you came and ruined it!"

Her glare visibly softened as she asked,"You were trying to save me?"

He sucked his teeth, as if asking why wouldn't he,"Yeah. And you just..good Lord! Why the hell did I even leave the Centre! I should have been careful."

"I don't need your protection! I'm strong!" She barked out, completely misunderstanding his point.

He sighed,"No one is calling you weak." Not when she was able to break his nose in a punch. Ash slightly shivered at the memory. He definitely didn't want to be in Kin's place anytime.

"You were indirectly hinting at it!" Dawn was glaring at him again, her voice stern and loud, making Ash narrow his eyes at her. He shook his head at her stubborness.

"Now you're getting angry without a reason! Stupid girlish hormones!"

"Are you calling me stupid?"

"Stop putting words in my mouth Dawn!"

The two starters, who were watching the scene with amused faces, suddenly looked at each other and gave a long sigh. It was going to be a long night.

"Damn it! Why are we fighting?" Dawn hissed as she grumpily sat at the edge of his bed. Ash stood beside her, his anger slowly dissipating away and spoke up,"We must inform Officer Jenny about Kin and his stalking. He is under Police Surveillance as he was trying to you know, force himself on me."

The girl nodded,"Right."

"That creepy stalker! He was following you or me, whatever, all the way from Cerulean to here!" Ash hissed, biting the inside of his cheek to calm himself.

Dawn exhaled,"And he had the gut to insult you too. I should've broken at least one rib."

A sudden warmth filled Ash's stomach as he understood Dawn was punching Kin because he had offended Ash. But he really didn't want her to land in trouble. All he could wish was that the Jenny who had taken Kin into captivity for causing problem to understand Dawn's reasoning.

A moment of silence passed between the two before Ash nervously managed to say,"I am sorry."

"For what?" Dawn asked, confused. As far as she knew she was responsible for breaking Kin's nose.

"For leaving you behind."

Dawn shook her head,"Don't let Kin's words reach you. You and I have a dream to fulfil Ash. And our dreams took us in separate paths. We can't help it."

Ash inhaled deeply,''What type of friend am I? I always end up leaving everyone behind."

Dawn bit her lip on seeing his internal struggle. Putting a hand on his shoulder, she smiled when he looked up at her.

"Don't say that. No one blames you."

He looked at her skeptically,"You mean you never blamed me?"

She almost looked guilty as she turned away. Ash asked again,"I won't judge you, promise. Tell me the truth."

"I was so angry and so...so lonely and heartbroken at first. I couldn't sleep for such a long time," she confessed, tears dropping from her chocolatey eyes,"But I understand. I couldn't leave as I had put Buneary's happiness before me and you put your dreams before you. You as well as I know that its our dream which brought us together and there is no way we will stop before attaining it. You left me, that's true but I didn't go with you either. We're equally responsible."

"You were sad, and I had no clue.."

"Don't say that Ash," Dawn softly spoke up, wiping her tears as she turned to face him.

"But..."

"I understand and I know, everyone else does too. We are together now, aren't we?"

"There is something more you need to know. You deserve to know!" Ash spoke up, staring directly in her eyes as he placed his now soft hand on her, making her take a deep breathe. His eyes were sparkling with anticipation, care, worry and excitement. But it also held such regret Dawn couldn't decipher. And suddenly panic filled her heart. Was he going to propose? What was she going to say?

Ash suddenly was at a loss for words. He smacked himself internally, hoping to come up with an excuse. He could always tell that he was scared whether she could take part in the upcoming grand festival or not. She needed just two more ribbons to be eligible but will it be good if he just ignores it? Nothing good comes from concealing and he wasn't ashamed of confessing.

What worried him was her reaction?

Will she be disgusted? No, she showed signs that she liked him. Her diary was his biggest support but what if he wasn't good enough? Ash shook all the conflicting thoughts out of his mind as he saw her waiting eyes. Before he could think himself out of it , he slowly blurted,"You're my best friend, my partner in crime, I am glad I met you, though it was under horrible circumstances but I don't regret any-"

"I know Ash," Dawn smiled, cutting him off. She believed that, or she almost wanted to believe that he was just thankful for sticking with him as they were in this mess. But in the back of her mind she couldn't help but imagine whether he was going to confess or not.

Dawn bit her lip, trying to sooth herself. This was Ash she was thinking about! The boy couldn't even flirt even if his life depended on it. As she was about to reply, to tell him to continue, a soft knock broke their attention. He quickly withdrew his hand, silently cursing for the inconvenience.

"Gary here! I'm coming in!" The new voice spoke up.

"Okay."

As Gary stepped inside, he closed the door behind him and stretched a little. Then seeing the tensed atmosphere of the room, he slowly asked,"Did something happen?"

Ash quickly waved it off,"Nop!" He said, popping the 'p'.

"If you say so," Gary said, totally unconvinced.

Trying to deviate the topic, Dawn quickly asked,"How are the Pokemons?"

Gary's face instantly fell,"The pokémon look really bad. However, why, is still unknown. It may be a hypothesis but in my honest opinion, the Pokemon's which have been admitted seem to be suffering from energy exhaustion."

"Poor things!" Dawn softly said.

Ash, now genuinely concerned asked,"Do you know what is causing this energy exhaustion?"

Gary shook his head,"It seems that the Pokémon were willingly giving energy to some other Pokémon. Unless that Pokémon is cured, we can't help it."

"We will help!" Ash and Dawn spoke up together as Gary chuckled, teasing them for thinking alike.

Before leaving, Gary added with a smirk,"Looking good Dawn. The style suits you. If I weren't single, I would've surely asked you out."

Dawn visibly paled on thinking how would Leaf react on hearing the comment, completely oblivious to the small smirk forming on Ash's lips.

Ash weighted the consequences. He could end up with a few broken bones or bruises but Dawn wouldn't hurt her body, would she? That meant Ash had more than enough time to apologize or maybe she would even forget about it later. Right now, he needed to shock and make Gary speechless. After all, he wasn't going to go down with Gary always teasing him.

"Well Gary," Ash spoke up, getting attention from everyone in the room. Gary was listening to him with full attention while leaning against the door frame while Dawn rose from her seat, wanting to go back to her room to rest for the night. He smirked further on seeing their anticipating faces,"The thing is, I'm unavailable. Ash and I started dating today."

It was the last thing Gary heard before a loud yell broke him out of his trance.

...

* * *

...

 **Hey everyone!**

 **First of all, thanks so much for the reviews! You guys are awesome and sure have left me greedy. How about telling me your thoughts on this chapter in the reviews? Lets aim for 15 this time! I** **know you all can do it! (Got 16 for my last chapter! And** **that was the highest I ever got for a single chapter!)**

 **And if my calculations are correct, there are just 3 more chapters left, excluding the epilogue. Oh! And since I'm in such a happy mood,all thanks to you all, I'm gonna give you a sweeeet chapter on Valentine's day! Well, if I can write that out quick enough XD**

 **And one guest reviewer asked me whether Ash and Dawn would take their relationship to next level. I really wanted to add a scene but the way the story is flowing, it seems hard, almost impossible. So, I apologize beforehand but no worries, I'll hint at it in the epilogue. It was my original plan to do so.**

 **And guess what? I'm finally 18! Wohhho! Its 12am of January 26th here, so its basically my birthday. Don't know what time it's over there though ;)**

 **~ darkestlightofhope**


	10. Chapter 10: A Kiss Or A Mistake?

**Hey everyone! Happy Valentine's Day!**

 **Well, this is not like the other chapters. I mean, it's not so carefree like the rest of the story, its rather gloomy. And sorry for posting this on Valentine's Day but this chapter had to be done.**

 **Don't kill me by the end of the chapter, I promise it will get better!**

 **.**

* * *

 _"Well Gary," Ash spoke up, getting attention from everyone in the room. Gary was listening to him with full attention while leaning against the door frame while Dawn rose from her seat, wanting to go back to her room to rest for the night. He smirked further on seeing their anticipating faces,"The thing is, I'm unavailable. Ash and I started dating today."_

 _It was the last thing Gary heard before a loud yell broke him out of his trance._

* * *

As soon as the words left Ash's mouth, Dawn who was standing beside him looked at him with an unreadable expression. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it soon. Biting her lip and catching her breath, she almost yelled,"What in the world are you...!"

Before she was able to complete her sentence, Ash silenced her by putting a finger on her lips. She instantly shut up, her mind still hazy and messed up at Ash's sudden actions. Giggling a little at her flustered face, he sweetly said,"Oh silly! There is no need to worry! We don't have to date secretly! I want the whole world to know that I've Ash Ketchum's heart!"

Dawn stared at him in disbelief, her mouth agape. How was he using her body to praise himself was still ticking her off but he said it so easily that she couldn't trust her own voice. She wanted to strangle him, choke him to death.

Not that the idea of dating him was repulsive but hearing it, for the first time, was. Moreover, how could he be so carefree about it? Dawn bit her lip, her hurt eyes hidden from them by her long bangs and Ash's cap. His words were giving her hope, a faint feeling that Ash felt something for her.

She shook her head. She can't just make assumptions. Afterall, Ash might be using it just to annoy or piss Gary. How could she be sure that he wasn't doing it out of jealousy? It was Ash for gods sake! He never showed interest in her before and neither did he say anything about his feelings, or rather if he had developed any feeling for her.

"Well done Ashy-boy!"

Dawn quickly looked at Gary, who was watching them with amused faces and she felt her cheeks on fire. The first time she gets a boyfriend and she doesn't even know she has one! And the fact that he was her best friend, had swapped hearts, as well as seen naked wasn't helping either. She knew what she felt for him.

"Gary! Its.." Dawn was about to explain everything when Ash quickly shut her off.

"See," Ash chuckled, as he pressed a small kiss on Dawn's cheek,"We're so in love!"

If Dawn wasn't embarrassed before, she was sure she was going to die now. Why wasn't Ash so shocked or shy like she was? Dawn felt her heart drooping. He was probably doing it just to show off in front of Gary, though he forgot he was inside her now and was only making a fool of Dawn. Her heart was beating almost painfully on thinking that he wasn't doing it for real, because he felt like it.

"I can see that," Gary made a fake disgusting face,"I'm going to be so sick now."

Ash laughed along with him, ignoring incoherent curses by Dawn.

"So.." Gary spoke up once his laughter died down,"Who confessed first?"

The make-believe couple stiffened as Ash absentmindedly fumbled with his fingers. Dawn suddenly spoke up. If they landed in trouble, they must get out of it together too. She tried to make up an excuse,"Well, I took her to a cafe shop where.. we were eating...eating coffee, sorry, drinking coffee with some..cookies? and I said I loved him out of the blue?" She grimaced at her pathetic excuse.

Ash, who was now grinning widely cheered,"I was so happy!" Dawn made a note to herself to ask him why wasn't he so flustered! Could he even sense her discomfort?

Gary shot the weird couple a look as he asked,"You both didn't kiss or something?"

Dawn bit her lip. This keeps getting weirder as she spoke up,"Eh..No.."

Ash cleared his throat to ease the atmosphere as he spoke up,"I gotta get ready for bed. Can you both leave?"

Dawn quickly got up, ready to leave but stopped on seeing Gary fixed at a point. She quickly asked,"Umm Gary?"

"I knew it was the case! I knew it! I knew you both were in love!" Gary almost cheered wildly, ignoring Ash and Dawn's flustered face.

"Gary!"

An amused smirk was playing on Gary's lips as he remembered Dawn giving a soft kiss on Ash's cheek and said,"Well, since you're a couple now, why don't you share a room? Nurse Joey was having trouble with giving rooms to new trainers due to lack of rooms."

Dawn quickly shook her head,"Nah! We just started dating now!" She can't possibly share a room with him! When the room has just one bed!

Ash was horrified. He had done this to get Gary off her but who knew his plan would backfire? He really couldn't share a room with her! She would kill him for putting her in such an embarrassing position! And he didn't want to die without even telling her about his real feelings.

Gary grinned wider,"No need to be modest Ashy-boy!" Though his words were directed to Ash, Dawn knew he was talking to her. Gary chuckled in amusement,"I'm sure you would love to talk and work on your new relationship. Though I hardly believe that you'll be wise enough to take it to the next level!"

Dawn blushed harder,"Gary!"

Ash shifted uncomfortably, managing to speak up,"Is it necessary?"

Gary visibly softened,"Well, there was a trainer who was bruised pretty badly so I gave my room to her to rest. But another trainer, who seemed to be caught up in a snowstorm is there in the lobby, waiting for a room. That was also another reason I am here."

"You mean.."

"I'm spending the night with the pokemons, and will try to figure out what's wrong with them. But they need another room and this room already has a king sized bed, so.." Gary trailed off, waiting for them figure the unspoken. Dawn gulped a little. What was she going to do now? She knew Gary was carefree but he would never tell a lie about something like this. Sighing to herself, she nodded,"Well then! Its fine with me."

At least Gary wouldn't be in the same room as them.

Gary nodded in thanks as he turned to look at Ash. The brunette spoke up,"Its okay Dawn if you're having doubts. I leave the decision on you."

Ash gulped. Well, he was sure he was going to die today. Cursing his luck, he agreed unwillingly,"Well, I trust Ash. I'll get my belongings now."

Gary thanked her,"Thank you!"

* * *

"Well, looks like you got a room Miette," Gary informed the short blue haired girl who was shivering slightly. The girl looked up with wide eyes, a thanks forming on her lips.

"But who was willing to give me a room?" The girl shyly asked. Gary gave her a small smirk,"Well, a friend of mind needed a push and then you came along. Just don't worry about it."

Miette watched as Gary walked away, chuckling to himself. Not understanding what he meant by it, she shrugged it off and stretched a little, walking to room 9.

"Well Slurpluff," Miette spoke playfully,"I guess all Kanto Natives are sweet. Otherwise who would vacate a room for a random stranger?"

"Slurr!"

"Yup! Lets get a hot bath to wash off all the snow!"

"Puff!"

* * *

Dawn closed the door behind her, Pikachu following close behind.

"Dawn?" Ignoring Ash's voice, she placed Pikachu and then proceeded to pick Piplup and placed them on small bed near the furnace. The Pokémon noticed the deadly aura coming from the girl and didn't even chirp. Tucking them in, she grabbed her bag and placed it beside her bed.

Ash was watching the girl with confused eyes. She looked angry, that was true but her expression also showed conflict and little hurt. Was she hurt as he had blurted out that he was dating her? Did she not feel the same?

When Dawn kept ignoring him, he took a deep breath and covered the distance between them as quickly as he could. Noticing him behind her, she turned away, wishing to move away.

"Wait Dawn!" Ash squeaked like a little girl, and then sweatdropped at the irony,"Let me explain."

"No."

"Come on! Please?"

She didn't reply and Ash took it as a signal to go on. Taking a deep breath, he spoke up,"Well, Gary was getting on my nerves with all the flirting, so I said that!" He patted himself, that wasn't a lie at least.

"And that's the only reason you did it?" She slowly asked, turning around. Without thinking, Ash spoke up,"Yeah!"

Dawn bit her lip, cursing herself for thinking he felt different towards her. This was Ash, probably the densest person who had ever lived on earth. Smiling a little, she spoke up,"Well then! Its fine!"

He sensed the hurt beneath her smile but couldn't muster up the courage to ask about it. Grinning, he asked,"You're not angry, right?" She chuckled as she waved him off,"Nop."

He visibly relaxed, thanking Arceus as he was till alive. He noticed a weak yawn escaping Dawn's lips and asked,"Well, we can go to sleep if you want."

She nodded,"I'm taking the bed."

"What!" He almost yelled,"No way I'm sleeping on the couch!"

"Hey! You asked for it!"

Ash glared at her,"For your kind information, I'm a girl! I get the bed!"

Dawn poked her tongue out at him,"Heh? You're still a boy in my body! I'm the real girl here."

"You're playing dirty Dawn," he hissed.

She didn't even flinch back,"Really? I'm playing dirty? Talk for yourself Ketchum."

Seeing he couldn't even win against her, his shoulders slumped as he accepted defeat,"Fine. I guess I asked for it."

She grinned in victory,"Yup."

As soon as Ash turned and saw the couch, a despaired filled sigh escaped his lips as he whispered,"Will miss ya bed." Dawn giggled at his childish antics as she lay down on the bed, thinking deeply. Ash reluctantly took his seat on the couch, which sure looked uncomfortable and unwelcoming.

"Goodnight Dawn," Ash groaned,"Enjoy the bed."

She chuckled again,"You enjoy the couch." Speaking to him about it could wait. Right now she was busy enjoying his cursed talks.

* * *

Once Ash was sure that Dawn was asleep, he let out a loud groan. Shifting and trying to make himself comfortable on the couch, he squeaked when he heard Dawn call out to him.

"I thought you were asleep," Ash honestly accepted. Hearing her muffled laugh, he asked again,"Need anything?"

"You can take the bed Ash," she silently said.

"Nah! I'm fine. Can't allow you to sleep on a couch."

"Umm." Dawn hesitantly spoke up,"We can share the bed. Its pretty big." He didn't want her to take the couch even though he was uncomfortable. And she was now hesitating to share the bed. What was wrong with her? She felt selfish for feeling hesitant. _But with him being_ _so close,_ _will I be able to breathe without choking or talk without shuttering?_

Ash stared at her in disbelief. It was dark inside the room but he was able to make out her or his silhouette lying on the bed, smuggled inside the blanket.

"Are you sure?" He asked, having his own doubts.

"Well," she giggled, mostly trying to evaporated the awkwardness,"We have faced so many troubles together. This ain't gonna change anything. Heck, we even saw each other naked."

Ash blushed a little as he slowly got up and made his way to the bed. He quickly sat down, seeing her eyes closed and gave a silent sigh.

Once he laid down, Dawn spoke up,"Its so cold, right?"

"Yeah.." Suddenly he snuggled closer to her, his petite arms around her waist. On getting the sudden contact, she quickly squeaked,"Ash! What are you doing?"

"Well," Ash said between breathes,"You were cold. And don't worry, think that you're snuggling with yourself."

She chuckled at his words,"Right. You're not cold now, right?"

He nodded slightly, even though she couldn't see him,"Yeah. Thanks." She hummed in response and wished him goodnight.

"Night Dawn."

When he heard no voice coming from the blunette and she had stopped struggling or moving, he was sure that she had fallen asleep. He sighed as he felt her rhythmic heartbeat falling in sync with his, her peaceful aura rubbing onto him.

He knew she was worried for him and didn't want him to freeze on the couch. That was the main reason she allowed him on the bed, even though it was making her uncomfortable, and she was trying to hide it. Ash sighed to himself, he needed to confirm what she felt for him soon.

* * *

Fortunately, when Ash woke up he found himself embracing Dawn as if his life depended on it. Before she could hear the erratic thumping of his heart which would wake her up, he shot out of bed, his face red and cheeks flushed. He had hardly made it out of bed when he tumbled over his bag and fell on the floor.

Hearing the curses and groans of pain, Dawn slowly rubbed her eyes as she asked, yawning,"What are you doing so early?"

"I need to pee!" Ash lied as he rushed to the bathroom. Dawn stared at him with puzzled eyes and laid down again, hoping to catch more sleep.

She wasn't even able to catch a minute of sleeo when a loud bang at the door irritated her.

"Yes?"

"Hey!" Dawn relaxed as she heard Gary on the other side, speaking to her,"I see you're up, Ashy-boy."

She rolled her eyes as she answered,"Good morning to you too Gary. Need anything?"

"Well, I was wondering if you and Dawn wanna meet up for breakfast?"

"Sure! We will be there in an hour."

"Smell ya later."

"You pig."

She laid down again, hearing the sound of flowing water in the bathroom.

"Ash must be taking a bath," she stated out loud. She couldn't help but feel a little warm at the attention he was giving her yesterday. He kissed her on the cheek, though to make Gary believe that they were dating, hugged her when he felt that she was cold and mostly, tried to explain instead of just ignoring the topic.

 _What's up with Ash lately?_

She was so occupied in thoughts that she hadn't heard the shower going off. Absentmindedly, she got up, deciding to have a shower amd meet Gary for breakfast.

When Ash came out of the bathroom, his hair wet and a bathrobe over his body, Dawn was surfing through her bag, looking for a change of clothes.

"You can have the bathroom now," Ash spoke up, getting her attention.

"Umm, okay." He watched as she pulled out a clean set of clothes and proceeded to the bathroom. Before disappearing inside, she informed him,"Get ready, Gary told us to meet him for breakfast."

"You got it."

* * *

The make-believe couple was silently walking toward the breakfast area, followed by their starters. They needed to talk, to decide how long would they have to act like a couple or something like that but couldn't muster up the courage. Ash decided that he would deal with it when it could no longer be ignored.

They found Gary eating with Umbreon and joined him.

"So how was Ashy-boy in bed? Terrible?" Gary teased as soon as they settled down. Dawn almost choked on her food at the implication while Ash crooked his neck, asking,"Why are you so interested in my love life?"

Gary just waved it off casually,"I feel like it." It was odd coming from Dawn.

"Weird."

"Anyways," Dawn coughed to get attention,"I think that you want to talk about something important."

"Yeah!" Gary nodded, his tone somber,"About the Pokemons."

"What'bout it?" Ash asked, his attention now fixed,"Found something?"

The professor nodded,"Yes. I believe that there is a pokemon, seriously injured or exhausted somewhere nearby and all other Pokémon are giving it their energy."

"That sounds interesting but where do we start looking for it?'' Dawn asked, worried.

Gary raised his eyebrows as he put a piece of pancake inside his mouth,"You wanna help?"

Ash and Dawn shouted in unison,"Of course we want to!"

"Fine, geez," Gary chuckled at his friends behaviour,"No need to be so loud."

"Whatever," Dawn plainly rolled her eyes at him.

"When do we start looking?"

To Ash's question, Gary simply answered,"No time like present, right?"

"No need to worry," Dawn chirped up,"We will save them in no time!''

"Serena was right," Gary laughed,"Dawn is rubbing on you Ashy-boy.''

"She is my girlfriend afterall," Dawn teased back, laughing at Ash's red, embarrassed face. Well, he deserved it for the sudden announcement he made yesterday.

* * *

Ash took a deep breath. He had been electrocuted infinite times, thrown in reverse world, was caught up in a death battle between Pokemons but nothing came close to the thing which was terrifying him now.

He saw Dawn waiting for him to say anything and he gulped. He clearly forgot what he had practiced.

"What were you going to say Ash?" Dawn inpatiently asked,"Gary is waiting you know."

He paled again,"Can you please not bring him up?"

"Fine, what were you saying?"

Ash tried to relax as he was desperately trying to think of saying it aloud. Could he simply ask her about it? Or should he just hint it so that she can figure it out on her own?

"Ash!"

"Fine!" Ash spoke up, little confident,"You trust me right?"

She raised her eyebrows at him,"Why this sudden question?"

"Just say."

She smiled,"Of course."

He took a deep breath,"Then close your eyes."

"What-"

"Just do it!"

"Fine."

Dawn felt Ash moving and soon felt a tingling sensation on her arms. Before she could open her eyes, Ash stopped her from doing so,"Don't open your eyes Dawn. Just relax and do as per your instincts."

"I will try."

He slid one hand on her back, slowly moving it to her neck and placed it there. With his other hand, he gripped her hand, intertwining it. He felt Dawn stiffen but she didn't let go, instead, she wrapped her fingers tightly around his.

Ash celebrated internally. She was reciprocating! It meant she liked him too, right?

Thanking god for the height differene due to the swapping, he slowly placed his ear on her chest, smiling at the close proximity and felt her heartbeat increasing. And suddenly their intertwining warmth wasn't enough for him. He felt so warm against her, so perfect. He didn't even want to shift as if it would leave him in dust, without her.

God he loved her so fucking much.

Once he found his voice, he slowly asked,"Tell me, tell me what you're feeling Dawn. Tell me your thoughts, what you're thinking."

"I... I don't know."

Ash exhaled slowly. She was going through the same mental battle he had been going since long time. But if her erratic heartbeat, her sly voice, her not pushing him away was a sign, then he was correct. Dawn Berlitz was in love with him too! He could feel his happiness seeping through him, as he found her tightening her grip on his and Ash was sure she was still thinking about his question.

"Can you tell what I'm thinking Dawn?" Ash asked, his eyes never leaving the view in front of him, their fingers tangled together. He loved it this way, feeling the his own hands through her hair, which was now his, her other hand touching his waist through more coarse hands. There was something intoxicating about her touch, the way she told her name. It made his heart leap yet calmed him down.

She was like a drug and he couldn't have enough of her. She always made him believe that there was no need to worry, no matter how much out of hand the situation got.

"How can I?" Dawn breathed out, her voice wavering due to the closeness,"I can just say that you're thinking about food or battles. But I'm not so sure now."

"You're wrong this time, I'm definitely not thinking about those." Ash softly said, chuckling at her assumption and Dawn let out a strange sound, finally asking,"Are you okay? You're not thinking about stuffing your face?"

"Do you want to know the truth?" He asked again, ignoring her sarcastic comment. He almost wanted to believed that she was doing it on purpose to irritate him.

"Ash," Dawn warned,"Don't beat around the bush. Tell me are you okay? Is something bothering you?"

Ash turned to face her, breaking the contact and Dawn couldn't define the emotions dancing in the blue orbs which once belong to herself. Placing a hand on his own body, close to his chest, Ash made Dawn to look at him.

"I am not okay. I'm feeling lost."

Dawn placed a hand on his cheek, making Ash relax into her touch. She asked, now scared at the mysterious behaviour of her best friend,"What is bothering you Ash?"

"I have lost something precious to me," Ash finally said, looking at her in the eyes, sucking in a breath. He couldn't chicken out now. She was waiting for an answer. He could see that she was worried, for him. And that made him smile despite his nervousness.

"What have you lost Ash? Where is it?"

"My heart," Ash said, his tone feeble and weak as he was trying to see her reaction.

"Your heart?" Dawn asked, confused,"You lost your heart? What is that supposed to mean?"

"The thing is, _you have my heart_ Dawn. Almost all of it."

For a moment when she didn't answer, he was scared. Had he creeped her out? Was she going to hate him? A thousand possibilities ran through his mind as he saw Dawn at the verge of tears and he instinctively raised his hand to wipe away the tears but Dawn stopped his hand as she moved away.

"Stop Ash!" Dawn suddenly spoke up, tears shimmering at her eyes,"Please stop."

Ash was completely horrified. Was he so wrong in his assumptions? He couldn't be! She was holding him close, and that surely meant she felt something for him. But why was she looking so sad..and broken?

"Shit! I didn't mean to make you cry! I'm really sorry! Just tell me what did I do wrong?" He asked, desperate to see her happy again.

"I ..Ash.. Love hurts.. It really hurts.."

He blinked, not expecting that answer,"Eh?"

She was biting her lip, trying to voice out her thoughts,"Doesn't it hurt, that the one you like may not feel the same way? Or what is the guarantee that they will stick together till the end? What will make sure that what we have now won't be ruined? Love is a pain, a risk. Is the pain really worth it? Are you ready to take such a risk?''

"Dawn.."

"Do you have an answer for it?" Her voice was almost desperate. Ash cringed as he saw tears flowing from her eyes. He had never seem her speaking so pessimistically, she was never so negative. Why was she so opposed to the idea of love?

Seeing Ash silent, she gave a mocking laugh,"I know you won't have an answer for it."

And she left, leaving a broken Ash behind, curled up in a ball, trying to procees what the hell had he messed up this time.

* * *

"Okay," Dawn spoke up as tried to catch her footing on the frozen ground,"You think we should be here?" Gary was now irritated by Ash's constant nagging as he growled,"Shut up Ashy-boy. Why are you so grumpy?"

"Forget it," Dawn's eyes flickered back to Ash, who was still looking lost in thoughts.

She sighed. She hadn't meant to blow up like that but she was really at a loss. Her father had left even when he claimed he loved her Mom. There were unhappy couples around, some struggling to save a relationship, some fighting to get out of one. Some cursing for falling in love and some crying over a broken heart. Was love really worth it all?

Didn't love bring pain with it?

Was there anything that ever pointed toward perfect couple or relationship?

Ash sighed. Dawn was right. Love brought suffering, needed more attention and care, needed to be cherished. It is tough.

The more he thought about it, the more he understood what she was feeling. She was scared, she was terrified. And she had her reasons. It is not wrong to have self doubts, have second thoughts.

His father had died when he was young yet her mother refused to marry someone else. Delia always said that being alone, without her husband, was lonely sometimes, but she couldn't replace Ash's father. Because she loved him. And though it hurt her, she still refused to let go.

He saw May and Drew working on their relationship. They were rivals and they had their share of obsessed fans but underneath all the commotion they were trying to work their relationship out. Sometimes the media caused mishap, sometimes Drew's ego got in the way or sometimes May's carelessness hampered their relationship but they refused to give up on each other.

He saw how sad Serena was on knowing he didn't reciprocate her feelings but that didn't stop her from trying. She knew she would be heartbroken but she didn't stop because she didn't want to give up without trying.

Was everything worth the risk?

Was he ready to risk their friendship?

Was he ready for a heartbreak?

He saw Gary disappearing round a corner and he instructed 'Ash' to look at other part of the cave. Dawn nodded silently. Ash was absentmindedly following her, biting his lip as he was trying to sort out his feelings.

Earlier he felt wrong for liking her. She was his best friend, partner in crime, the one he shared all his secrets with, discussed all his weakness, made strategies, practiced battles with and cared deeply for. He felt that he couldn't love her, because she is Dawn. He shouldn't look at her with longing eyes, because she is Dawn. He shouldn't think about her mesmerising eyes, plump lips, pink cheeks, shining hair, gorgeous and shining skin just because she is Dawn. His best friend.

But now, he knows that he can't forget her even if he tries. He won't be able to. Just because, she is Dawn and he loves her for it.

And he knew what he wanted.

He finally had an answer.

"Dawn!" He called out, making her stop on her tracks. She didn't turn around to face him but nodded, signalling she was listening.

Covering the gap between them, Ash quickly took her hand in his, raising on his toes as he pressed a small kiss against his own lips.

His action wa sudden, but he didn't regret it. He would never regret it. He loves her, and would even turn the world upside down just to keep her smiling. He was ready to risk everything for her, ready to face all pain for her. Because she was worth it all, because he knew she deserved all the happiness in the world and he would either give them to her or die trying.

The kiss was soft and ended before Dawn could even blink.

And when the events registered in her head, she forgot to breathe. She knew Ash mostly relied on actions rather than words but this was unexpected. She loves him, she knows she does but.. is she ready for such a huge step?

Accepting him when she isn't sure about it would be not fair, neither towards Ash nor towards herself because she needs to be completely honest with her. Why did Ash just have to mess everything up? They would have never talked about his confession again and things would go back to normal. He would continue travelling and challenge Elite Fours and she would take part in more contests. They would laugh their heart out on swapping back and then forget all the embarrassing situations like a bad dream. Why did he have to try to take the relationship to next level? Why did he have to complicate things?

She was content on ignoring her feelings for him. Why did he have to make her conscious of her suppressed feelings and desires?

Why can't they just go back to being just friends?

Seeing her quiet, Ash gulped a little, saying,"I wasn't sure back then but I'm now. I know what I want. Love is worth the risk, love is worth the pain. Love is worth everything because I won't give up on you Dawn, because, I love-"

"No!"

Out of all the reactions he was expecting, crying wasn't one. She didn't push him away, or slap him. She just bit her lip, looking extremely hurt and betrayed.

"Dawn, just listen-"

His efforts were in vain as she quickly brushed him off, saying,"I get your point. Please, please, please don't do this to me. I can't be so daring like you, I can't just risk everything. I just can't. You've proven your point but I can't just accept it, I'm scared. I don't want to lose you for a stupid mistake because having you as a friend is far better than losing you after sometime after dating."

"But!" Ash began, reaching out for her trembling figure. She flinched away when he touched her, and took a step back, then another and finally broke in a run, tears spilling from her eyes. Ash suddenly got back to his senses and made up his mind.

She might slap him after all he did today but he just couldn't leave her behind.

But before Ash could hold or run after the leaving girl, Gary shouted from the other part of the cave,"Holy shit! Ash, Dawn, I found something!"

* * *

 **Those who can guess what Gary found will get a virtual cookie!**

 **And I know Dawn is acting like a stupid right now but you can't simply ignore that these doubts, however small, is present within everyone. I had the same doubts when I got my first boyfriend.**

 **But, the show must go on! And I know you'll stick around! Because you all love me so daamn much! So please leave a sweet review( don't kill me, virtually, for being so cruel). I** **really want to update sooner! But now I've my final exams coming up. I will try to get a chapter up by mid March. Sounds too long but I really can't help it! I'm so sorrrrry!**

 **~ darkestlightofhope**


	11. Chapter 11: Heart's Swapped, Again

Ash,now grumpy, sat at the edge of his bed, clearly annoyed at the turn of events. Dawn had stormed out of the ice cave, not even bothered to wait to see what Gary had found out. Could he even blame her? Wouldn't he feel conflicted when someone kissed him out of the blue?

Ash wanted to run after her but seeing Pikachu running after the crying girl, he discarded the idea. At least Dawn wouldn't ignore the rodent now. He felt betrayed as his best buddy abandoned him like it, but did he have any choice? Neither did Pikachu knew who the real Ash was. So he did what he had originally planned on doing, seeing around for the sick Pokémon though all he wanted was to curl and weep.

Gary had found something.. valuable and Ash had no freaking idea what the blue haired Pokémon was doing in an ice cave.

Gary had found a worn out Manaphy, looking heavily exhausted and showing signs of terrible health. The normally cheerful pokémon looked tired as if it had been under torture for a long time and suffered from malnutrition. The usual blue glow was now gone, replaced with pale, dull colour. Ash instantly knew that the Pokémon was suffering. Anyone who took a look at it could tell.

So when Gary had brought the Legendary Pokémon with him to the Pokémon centre, he didn't fight. Neither did Manaphy fight back on being handled by a stranger.

On the way back, Ash explained that 'Ash' and he were having a fight so 'Ash' had stormed off where as Gary plainly teased for their first fight as a couple, trying to soften the gloomy aura which was lurking over Ash.

But on seeing his still sullen expression, even after his pathetic try to cheer him up, Gary's voice changed to show how concerned he really was. He quickly asked,"Is everything okay Dawn?"

"Gary.."

"Hm?"

"I'm not Dawn."

Ash stopped walking as he felt Gary standing still on hearing it. A while later, Gary burst into laughter, the Pokémon in his arms shifting due to the sound.

"Nice one Dawn," Gary laughed more.

Ash sighed as he started walking again, shaking his head at his stupid idea,"Forget it." Getting out of the suffocating place was his second priority, the first was to clear his mind and think how he would make things all right again.

As soon as they had reached the pokemon centre, Dawn was fixed at her spot on a couch outside the Pokémon Centre Health Department, looking horrified and gloomy at the same time.

"Hey Ashy-boy!" Gary greeted the girl who looked horrified.

Ash halted in his steps. She loved him back, he was sure but why was she so scared? Why wasn't she allowing him? What was holding her back?

Had he destroyed their friendship somehow? Had it overdone it?

Gary placed the weak pokemon inside the operation theatre and Chansey began healing the sea Pokémon quickly. Ash was hesitating to approach her, she hadn't even looked at him for once since he had walked in. What was she thinking so deeply?

Nurse Joey who was quiet for a while, spoke up on seeing the sullen expression on everyone's faces,"I figured out what is wrong with Manaphy."

"You did?" Gary asked, his attention caught. Anything to deviate his mind from two sulking teens.

The pink haired beauty nodded, her expression serious,"This can be a problem. We might be unable to heal Manaphy without knowing who had been struck with the attack.''

Ash couldn't hold it any longer,"What do you mean?"

The nurse sighed, a soft curse leaving her lips,"Manaphy has been using Heart Swap for too long. And if it doesn't reverses back soon, the poor creature might die."

.

* * *

Ash had never imagined that talking to Dawn would be so hard. The conversations between them always flowed easily, there was never a dull moment between them, they could talk about everything and anything under the sky.

But now, it was like that they were strangers, who were never destined to meet.

Dawn was ignoring him, and to his dismay had switched back rooms. She even left Pikachu with Nurse Joey to have privacy.

He didn't want to lose what they had between them, he would pick being her friend forever if it meant that she would talk to him again. Ash was pretty sure that she wouldn't talk to him unless she was forced to. He was sure he would have to lock them in a room to make her talk.

He gave a defeated sigh at the thought. If he locks them up, there was a 99% chance that she would kill him, almost. An angry Dawn was almost equivalent to an angry Misty, if not more. And no way was he gonna bet on that 1% chance he had.

He knew that she wouldn't talk unless he would force a conversation out of her.

Ash hated seeing her like that, so broken and lonely. It was like that time she wasn't able to pass the appeal's round back in their Sinnoh days. She looked so lost and shattered, no one could even imagine the strong girl they know now was so vulnerable. He hated seeing her like that, he himself felt useless as he could do nothing to cheer her up, to make her smile.

He saw Dawn leaving her room and silently decided to follow her. He found her entering the cafeteria and ordering some food. He quickly made his way over to her as she was picking up the food's packet.

"Dawn.." He slowly called her. She stiffened in her tracks and quickly turned, her face looking horrified and scared. She squeaked out,"Hey Ash. I.."

"We need to talk," Ash quickly breathed out, scared that she would run and ignore him again. He saw how she was thinking something to say, biting her lip to deviate the topic. He was sure that he was going to get rejected again.

Her brown orbs flickered in worry as she softly spoke up,"I'm not feeling too well. I'll talk to you later."

And once again, Ash wanted to cry his heart out when she dashed toward her room, away from him.

.

* * *

Ash was silently watching Manaphy through the glass panel, seeing Chansey using her eggbomb to heal him. Nurse Joey was examining the poor pokémon too.

He felt bad. It was his entire fault that Manaphy was this way. If he would have controlled his curiosity and stayed in place, then the whole dilemma would never have happened. He would still be travelling, oblivious to everything and Dawn would still talk to him.

"You look worried," Gary spoke up as he saw 'Dawn' silently watching the pokemon.

"Because I'm."

"Is Ash still angry?" Gary asked as they were heading to the cafeteria to sit and talk about it.

Gary ordered hot chocolate to liften the blunette's mood but when the girl in front of him still didn't reply to his previous question, he softly asked,"Having your first fight as a couple?"

Ash stopped stiring the hot chocolate as he slowly pushed it away, sighing sadly as he accepted,"Yeah."

Gary gave a little smile, unknown to Ash, as he advised,"Sighing and grunting and thinking won't take you anywhere Dawn. You must talk and solve your issues."

Ash bit the inside of his lips at his words. The last time he tried solving his issues hadn't ended well.

Seeing him silent again, Gary again spoke up,"You know Dawn, Leaf is so much like Ash. She loves travelling, loves to eat, always puts her pokemon before her own health. She hates my stuck up attitude, we fight and ignore each other, but, we don't give up on each other. You should not give up on whom you love too."

Ash nodded silently as he spoke up, purposely slipping up,"I'm not giving up on her, I'm not giving up on Dawn."

"What do you mean?" Gary was now irritated,"You said the same while we were in that Ice Cave."

Ash had enough. He needed to speak everything out. Brock would have been a much better choice, but he was no where in sight. He wanted to be heard. Dawn was refusing to even look at him, talking was on another league.

Taking a deep breath, he looked up at Gary, understanding the confusion in his voice as he confessed,"Manaphy used heart swap on me and Dawn. We have unconsciously swapped bodies. The whole dating thing is false too."

As Ash said that, he was waiting for a response from Gary. The brunette was staring at him as if he was dancing around naked. Ash immediately pushed away the thought, since he was in her body and had no intention of allowing other men to see her like that.

A full minute passed and Ash still hadn't heard a word from his childhood rival. Gary was eyeing him in disbelief and Ash rolled his eyes, asking,"You don't trust me?"

Gary nodded.

"Come on Gary, only I know that you cried after losing to me in the Johto League!"

Gary's face immediately flushed as he requested Ash to shut up.

"So.." Gary began.

"So what?"

"When did it happen?"

"A month ago, when I visited Pallet Town."

"Holy crap! I had no freaking idea!"

"Shut up Garebear! People are staring."

Clearing his throat to ignore the stupid nickname Ash had come up with to annoy him, Gary asked,"That meant the day you went on a date with Serena wasn't the real you, it was Dawn and I was having movie date with a moron like you?"

Ash's eyebrows twitched at the insult as he said,"Yes."

"And I made you see a dream instead of Dawn and Ash was the one who came up with the date idea and kissed Dawn! Oh my god! What the hell! How could have I not noticed?" Ash was pretty sure that the man in front of him was talking to himself rather than telling him anything.

"What dream?" Ash asked, confused.

Gary quickly changed the topic as he saw Ash's face lighting up with realization,"Oh man! How could have I not noticed?"

Ash snorted, unable to scold Gary for using Umbreon to alter his dreams as he replied,"Gary, we are getting offtrack."

Gary regained his composure as he softly asked,"What do you want now?"

"I just wanna talk to her, she is ignoring me for nothing.."

Gary smacked his forehead,"Ash, I was talking about Manaphy."

A look of panic crossed Ash's face as he breathed out,"We need to swap back!"

"And for that you'll need Manaphy and of course, Dawn."

Ash nodded, not understanding where Gary was heading to with the information. Gary, npw waiting for him to pick up his unsaid words facepalmed when Ash hadn't caught up with the idea. Gary shook his head, muttering dense and idiot under his breath. Ash looked at him, totally oblivious to why he was being called an idiot this time. Was Gary giving him some hidden advice? His face scrunched up, thinking deeply at what Gary meant. Can't people be more straightforward?

Gary suddenly spoke up, shaking the 'girl' out of his thoughts,"Well, Dawn is ignoring you but she knows that you both have to talk for swapping back. What are you waiting for Ashy-boy, go get your girl."

Ash's face lit up at the idea as he agreed,"Thanks. And Leaf sounds pretty cool."

Gary shoved the blunette out of the cafeteria,"My girlfriend isn't your concern."

"Fine, fine. Whatever Garebear."

"Shut up Ashy-boy."

Ash sighed as he began playing with his fingers, a habit he had picked up from her when he was nervous as he asked,"Gary, I know I like her and she likes me too but why isn't she giving us a chance?"

Gary had come across many awkward situations in his life, like having a date with Dawn only to realize it was Ash. But never had he imagined that his childhood friend and rival would ask for his help.

"Girls are like that, they are insecure and tense. They need attention and care. They will rather stay alone than having their heart broken by someone who is so special and close to them. At least this is what Leaf is. I don't know about Dawn though."

Ash watched as Gary spoke. He was understanding his every word. Dawn was a lot like Leaf too, she was scared too. She was scared that she would lose the friendship she had built over such a long time. Her fear was making her stop.

"Dawn is just scared," Ash silently admitted, Gary nodding his head in understanding.

"Then make her believe that there is nothing to be scared of, gain her trust, give her hope. After all the Ash I know never gives up till he reaches his goal," Gary teased. Ash gave him a thankful smile,"I guess I needed a morale boost. Thanks Gary. Well, at least Leaf isn't dating a complete moron.''

Gary was going to smack the senses out of the cocky boy in front of him but instead, just laughed,"I'm not that bad Ashy-boy."

"Yeah, yeah," Ash rolled his eyes at his cockiness.

"And," Gary seriously started, getting Ash's full attention,"We never had this emotional conversation, got that?''

"Whatever!" Ash chuckled, failing as he was trying to roll his eyes at Gary's comment. Same, old, typical Gary.

As Gary watched Ash walking away with new found confidence, he smirked to himself,"Well, get your girl Ash."

* * *

Talking with Ash was the most wishful thing Dawn could think of at the moment.

She squeezed his palm and almost melted into the kiss, she couldn't push him away even when she wanted to because she liked how she was the only thing in his mind. Her mind was screaming at her to move away, to shout at him yet all she did was run away.

He was the best thing that ever happened to her. She got her strength from him, got inspiration from him and understood that there is really no need to worry when he was with her.

She loved him, since she was saved by him from Team Rocket, felt gratitude toward him when he saved her homeland from people like Cyrus, was indebted to him for cheering her after her contest loss. She couldn't even count how many times he risked his own life for her, like back in Alamos Town when she was almost knocked by the wind yet he didn't let go of her hand and when she was being sucked into the reverse world, how he jumped after her, not thinking about the consequences.

A sad smile made its way up on her lips as she remembered all this. He was so selfless and determined that it scared her, it made her worry that people will manipulate him due to his softness and kindness.

Boys like him were rare to find and Dawn couldn't thank Arceus enough that he was sent in her life.

And he even loved her.

Her smile dropped as she took in a slow, deep breath.

She didn't understand when he had fallen for her but it didn't lessen her worry. She knew she had her own dream to follow and he had his and she liked his determination in that matter but at the end of the day, they were still friends.

Who would guarantee that if they start dating, things would fall into places? Who would make sure that they remain the same?

She couldn't even imagine the pain of waking up and realize that they weren't even friends.

Friendship is a strong bond, built up on years of hardwork, dedication, love, care, affection and trust. The friendship she and Ash had built up was her inner strength, it always gave her hope in the deadliest of situations. It made her believe that there is one raven haired boy who would never give up on her.

Dawn laid down on her bed, using her right arm to cover her eyes as she silently let out a sob.

Love is like friendship set on fire. And she will not let anything else destroy their friendship.

She knows that the boy deserves happiness. He was so much like her. He grew up without a Dad, just like her, their starter pokemons hated them at the beginning, they were targeted by Team Galactic because the Mystic Pokémon reached out to them. He was a walking_trouble-attracting_magnet, always landing himself in between life and death situations. He was brave, more brave than any boy she has ever met.

But will she be able to live upto his expectations? Will they not change one they become a thing? Can they ever go back to what they were if things won't work out? Who knows, he might walk out of the relationship just like her Dad did with her Mom.

She hadn't realized that she had zoned out until a knock at the door broke her out of her daydream.

"Dawn?" Ash called out, unsure whether he should talk to her or not.

Dawn was now panicking. What did he want now? Was he here to talk about the kiss? She could still feel his soft sensation on her lips. Was he here to apologize that it was a mistake and to pretend that it never happened? She shook her head. No matter what the situations were, she would never forget the sensation of his lips on hers, the warmth it enveloped her with despite the surroundings, the urge to feel more of him, to pull him close and kiss him until they couldn't think straight. She could definitely not forget it even if he wants her to.

Hearing no reply, Ash felt his heart sinking in an bottomless abyss. Will he be able to voice out his opinions in forever?

Testing his luck, which was not going good at the moment, he knocked again,"Dawn? Are ya in there?"

Dawn shifted and groaned as she hit her toe while making her way to the door, opening the door with a small hiss on her lips.

"Come in."

Ash quickly acted, fearing that he would be thrown out if he doesn't act quick.

Once he was inside, Dawn closed the door behind him as he was standing awkwardly, not knowing how to approach her.

"Umm..." He started.

"Yeah?" She sat at the edge of the bed, signalling him to sit on a chair, opposite to her.

"I was..umm...you know.." Ash awkwardly started. He didn't know how to approach. Could he tell her how much she meant to him and the kiss wasn't just to make her realize it too? Should he tell her that he wanted the kiss too?

Dawn was panicking, he was sitting in front of her, looking lost in thoughts. Was he here to tell how much he regretted kissing her? Or to tell her to forget everything and start afresh. Probably both.

That was the reason she didn't want to become more than friends. Things would get awkward, they would not be able to talk freely like before. An air of being perfect will always loom over them. They would have to think and do things, making sure not to hurt or offend the other.

"Dawn, about what happened in the ice cave," Ash started,"I'm.."

"I understand," Dawn suddenly stopped him.

"You do?" His voice was hopeful.

"Yes. I do," she took in a deep breath as she continued,"Don't regret it. We will forget everything and start our friendship from the beginning. This will never effect our friendship."

It hurt. Ash's face clearly showed how much he disliked those words. He was shaking, his heart feeling extremely low as he asked,"Do you want that?"

No! Dawn bit her lip harshly,"Yes."

"Okay then. We can't force our decisions on others, how naive of me."

Although it was suppose to come out as a whisper, Dawn heard that clearly. A sudden jolt of regret shoot through her veins as she asked,"Ash, but why did you kiss me?"

He looked up to her, for a time forgetting what he was going to say. When he saw her waiting for an answer, he simply said,"Because I wanted to."

"You didn't do it to prove your point?"

"I wanted to but that's not it. You are more important than proving anything Dawn."

Dawn could feel her heartbeat rising. Was he telling that he didn't regret kissing her? Or was he just telling it to make her feel better?

"I don't understand Ash."

Ash slowly got up, and placed his hand on her cheek, looking at her eyes. He avoided the hard thumping in his chest as she slowly parted her lips to take a deep breath.

"So beautiful, you're beautiful Dawn. You make my heart beat so fast, you give me strength. I kissed you because I love you."

Dawn felt tears forming in her eyes as she blinked it away,"Please Ash. I just don't want to ruin everything."

"But you're not!"

"It will get worse. Who knows what is gonna happen in the future? Who will tell that we won't change? Life happens," Dawn held back a sob as he continued,"I just don't want to throw away all that we have achieved."

As much as Ash wanted to say he would be there for her, he couldn't. It was her own insecurity and he knew no words could make her believe it.

"I'll just say that, I'll wait."

As Ash slowly got up to leave, Dawn held his shirt, getting his attention.

"We will always be friends, right?" She shakily asked, hiding her tears.

He nodded,"No matter what, you'll stay my best friend. We may change but that's a thing which won't change."

A tear escaped her eye and she wrapped her arms around his torso, not realizing she was now taller and more muscular than Ash for the swap. His back was pressed against her front, and he held back a sob by biting his lower lip. No matter how much his heart was beating at the first touch she made herself on him, he understood she didn't mean it in an intimate way.

She wanted to thank him, for always staying there. They could've highfived like before but both of them knew, they had passed the highfive stage a long time ago. He asked,"You okay there Dawn? I didn't say anything inappropriate, right?"

He felt her holding back a soft laugh. She finally gave a short laugh, amusement clear in her voice,"No Ash, its just.. a feeling. Thank you, Ash."

He didn't move as she shed a few tears. However, he slowly asked,"About Manaphy..."

She reluctantly broke the hug, wiping the tears off her flushed face,"We need to switch back soon.''

"I know. But, I don't want to."

Ash's word took her by surprise as she was looking at his broken expression. It hurt him to stay that. For whatever reason he was agreeing, it sure was important but that didn't mean he wasn't cursing himself for saying that. After all he always hated seeing pokemon hurt.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

''I know, once we will be normal again, you would leave. And I don't want to let you go," Ash took a deep breath, blinking away his tears. He was cursing himself for thinking that. He was embarrassed, not wanting to put and superimpose his obvious feelings upon her but he couldn't help it.

Dawn looked away, her tears coming back at his soft words. She knew it was killing him inside but she couldn't promise anything.

Afterall, promises are broken, feelings are hurt.

"But Manaphy.." She tried to reason.

He understood her unspoken words as he slowly shook his head, saying,"I don't want to but that doesn't mean I won't. I can't let a Pokémon suffer for my own gain. Especially when that Pokémon made me realize what you're to me."

Dawn wanted to wipe away those tears from his face but couldn't. She was frozen in place as she heard his words. She was hating everything about her, for hurting this innocent man in the worst way possible.

"I understand but how are we gonna tell Gary that we need to swap back?" She cleverly deviated the topic. He noticed how she was avoiding it but didn't say a thing. He was sure she needed and respected her personal space.

"Gary already knows."

Dawn gasped as Ash chuckled,"I told him today. He is making preparations."

Dawn nodded as she saw Ash walking away. She wanted to thank him, for sticking so long with her but the thought of being normal created another fear in her mind.

Will she be able to say goodbye?

* * *

To say Gary was surprised was an understatement.

Ash was waiting with Gary, waiting for Dawn to arrive.

"So.. Dawn is okay with swapping back?" Gary tried to pick up a conversation. Ash was lost in thought, and startled when Gary shook him wildly, shaking him out of his thoughts.

"Gary, that hurts!" Ash whined.

"Yeah, yeah," Gary teased back,"You're weak now, I forgot."

A frown appeared on Ash's forehead as he defended himself or her,"You won't say that if she kicks you. That girl is scary."

"You are calling Dawn scary?" Gary laughed.

Ash was serious,"She knows how to throw a punch."

"Gotcha!" Gary laughed harder.

Ash peeked toward the door again before running his hands softly on Manaphy's fur. Gary saw this and asked,"What are you waiting for?"

"Dawn. She should be here by now," he worriedly said.

Gary took a deep breath as he noticed rhythmic beating of Manaphy's heart, showing he was stabilising.

"She won't back out Ashy-boy."

Ash hid back a bitter laugh,"Yeah. She can't escape the opportunity to get rid of me."

Gary put a hand on the shaking boy. He knew Ash didn't mean it harshly but now he was having his own mental battle. Trying to give him hope, Gary spoke up,"She isn't going to run away. She was beside you till now, wasn't she?"

"Damn it Gary. I know she loves me but..."

"Ashy-boy, don't rush things. It will make things harder."

"Yeah. I'm just over thinking. Gotta have faith right?" Ash gave Gary a grateful smile. He knew the brunette will tease him, laugh at him but will never stop supporting him. He was Gary, his first friend and rival.

And he was glad he had someone to talk to, to keep his sanity.

After all Gary was telling him to keep faith. He had faith in his pokemons and they had faith in him.

He just have to put faith in her and his love too.

* * *

Dawn was fumbling with her fingers, her lips quivering as she was staring at the mirror. Her eyes were puffy, cheeks red due to all the crying she had done.

She was sorting out all their belongings, putting back Ash's pokeball in his bag as she took her pokeballs from him. She kissed Piplup's pokeball, murmuring how much she missed him.

Pikachu was with Nurse Joey, getting checked up due to building high static charge owing to the cold weather.

"Oh Ash... This journey was memorable in its own way..."

She was slowly walking toward the treatment room where Manaphy was, her lips constantly being tortured due to her anticipation.

Ash was reluctant to switch back and to some extent, she was too. She knew she wasn't ready for a relation now but that didn't suppress her desire from travelling with him. Those two years without him were the hardest and she knew that separating from him again will be more tough and painful.

"Hey Mr. Ketchum!" A soft, childish voice caught her attention and she turned to see a small kid of about ten looking at her with excited eyes.

She smiled a little at the light blue haired boy,"I'm Ash. Who are you?"

The boy's face visibly lit up as if he was given his favourite candy,"I'm Toni."

"Hey Toni!" Dawn scooped down to pat his head,"What do you need?"

The boy hid his blush behind his bangs as he pulled out a small copy from his bag pack, handing it over to her. Dawn raised an eyebrow.

"Can you.. umm.. give me your autograph?" Toni blushed as he asked,"I always wanted to be like you. One day I'm gonna defeat the Battle Frontier too."

Dawn nodded in understanding. Ash was Battle Pyramid Prince but had decided to keep travelling to become stronger. He was one of the strongest in Kanto, after defeating Battle Pyramid King, whose power was almost comparable to Elite Four. And that was a year ago. Ash had definitely improved more. She smiled at him,"Sure."

The boy couldn't be more happier as he wrapped his arms around her, earning a chuckle from Dawn.

"Thank you Ash! Now I've all autographs of the Kanto Battle Heads! Though I wish I could see you battle anyone of them.."

Dawn ruffled his hair as he softly pouted,"I wish I could too."

Unknown to her, a short beautiful girl who was just passing by caught the sight. Smiling to herself, she placed a hand on her thumping heart, whispering to herself,"Ash... That's really you. I missed you."

Dawn waved the boy good bye before running to the room where Manaphy was.

* * *

Gary exchanged glances between Ash and Dawn, sweatdropping at the tense atmosphere. Knowing his presence wasn't making anything better, he excused himself saying,"I'm gonna go and get Pikachu."

The two teens didn't say anything, just nodding at his understanding.

Once Gary was gone, Ash turned to Ash and sucked the inside of his cheek at seeing her watery eyes. He knew it was hard for her too.

"Dawn," Ash spoke up, slipping his fingers into hers. When she gripped it tighter instead of pushing him away, he continued,"You know, I never imagined coming back here would turn to be the greatest adventure of my life."

Dawn leaned into his touch, smiling despite the heavy situation,"Same here."

"I saw Ho-oh at the beginning of my journey. It is said that seeing a Ho-oh embarks beginning of a adventure and a blessed life. After winning a league after my fifth attempt, I was surely on cloud nine, I was happy. I was blessed. I couldn't ask for anything else unless I saw you again.."

"Ash..."

"I just want to tell you that I really love you. And because of that I am willing to wait. Take your time and always remember that I will be there, waiting. We may grow up, but, we will always stay the same. The old, childish Ash and Dawn will never die, the friendship they've build will never be ruined by Present Ash and Dawn. I know you love me and take your time to get over your insecurities."

Dawn squeezed his hand tighter, her tears flowing freely. This time she didn't stop before pulling him in a hug as Ash, who was almost crying too chuckled,"Hey! You're crushing me Dawn. Take it easy."

Dawn chuckled softly, thanking all gods for him. He was understanding, he was sweet and he was everything a girl could ask for. He wasn't rushing her, he was giving her time to cope up with her insecurities. "Thanks Ash."

Ash, without breaking the hug, pulled her closer, emersed in pure bliss. He knew he could stay like this for eternity.

"I know what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna challenge Kanto Elite Four. Then I'm gonna move to Sinnoh to travel and challenge Sinnoh Battle frontier. Although I would love it if you come with me, I know its your decision. Will you go to Sinnoh with me after we're done here in Kanto? After you finish your Grand Festival and I challenge Kanto Elite Four? Think about it."

Dawn wanted to say yes desperately but smiled saying,"I'll think."

He nodded in understanding,"Sure."

Breaking the hug, Ash and Dawn slowly and carefully placed their intertwined hands on Manaphy's torso, waking it up.

Hoping not to startle the weak pokémon, Dawn softly spoke up,"You can swap us back and then you'll be fine."

"Get well soon Manaphy."

As if understanding them, Manaphy gave a weak nod and soon a bright blue light engulfed them, and this time Ash and Dawn passed out with a smile on their faces.

"Thank you, Manaphy."

Their combined and in sync voices brought even a smile on the Pokemon's face.

* * *

 **And they swapped back! Isn't Gary the sweetest Matchmaker?**

 **Who was waiting for it? I was surely waiting for it too! And don't forget to tell me what you liked and disliked. And I know it is asking for too much, but I would like it if you tell me how I can improve.**

 **And the next chapter will be the last, except the epilogue!**

 **And I would like to give all of you hugs! Really! It's the first time any of my stories crossed 100 reviews and you won't believe I worked extra hard to get this chapter up quickly!**

 **Special thanks to glaxy, supermanx, pikacat83, mignonjoli, skeletonknight, AshXDawnaddicted, pearl shipper, macrotalelove, saaphireofdreams, sparklingpearl123, kingofclan, KakeruPB , epicgammesgdcritical, dontmindme1234, and all other reviewers for sticking with the story and contributing to reach 100 reviews!**

 **And an early update for my little sis like person on Fanfiction, AshXDawnaddicted. So, dont forget to wish her! But I also have a depressing news. Since I'm in my Senior year of school, my biggest nightmare, exams, are starting in a week! So, this is goodbye, for at least a month. Pray for me!**

 **Next update, 5th of April! Till then, stay tuned!  
**

 **~ darkestlightofhope**


	12. Chapter 12: Our Happy Ending

At first Dawn was sure that coming back in her body would be a disaster. Just like returning to a home which was left unoccupied for almost months. Or rather coming back to a room which was previously occupied by a messy person.

However, she realized that Ash had taken really good care of everything. There were no bruises or any cuts. Heck, her hair and skin were well kept too. She was pretty sure it was due to lecturing him for a day after the swap. Or maybe because he didn't want her hurt anyway.

When she woke up, she was in her room, the room Ash had taken from nurse Joey when he was stuck inside of her. Maybe Ash carried her here but he must be passed out too if she was from swapping back.

And then maybe it was Gary who carried them back.

Her hands hastily went back to her waist as she hastily pulled out five pokeballs, keeping Mamoswine's pokeball in reserve for obvious reasons. The big ice type could not fit into the small room afterall.

"Everyone!" She cheerfully said despite the tears forming in her eyes,"Come on out!"

"Piplup!"

"Bun-buneary!"

"Chipa-chipa!"

"Phlosion!"

"To-toge!"

"I missed you all too!" She ran into the group, hugging every pokemon tightly.

The Pokémon gave her amused chirps, loving the attention although they had no idea why their master was being so happy about seeing them. Didn't she feed them the previous morning? Well, Dawn was weird and they didn't question it any further.

She ended up playing some simple games with her Pokémon, spending almost an hour and half, trying to make up for the lost time. The Pokemon's didn't suspect a thing however, she clearly noticed that they were passing each other confusing looks once in a while. Well, it would take time before they could adjust to her again.

* * *

Ash was lying flat on his back, Pikachu cuddled in his arms. After such a long time, he was able to hold his Pokémon so close and deep inside, he was content. Pikachu, who was sleeping peacefully, yawned on feeling Ash scratching the back of his ears, nuzzling more closer to his trainer.

However, Ash was getting an exciting vibe, as if, he was going to get something he was waiting for.

He was trying to get a grip on why he was feeling so excited, and the more he tried, the more he came up blank. During times like this, he felt his Aura surging through his veins, giving him a sudden rush of adrenaline. His sixth sense of Aura was getting stronger with every passing day. Nor that he needed it but it cheered him up on getting to know that he was special, different.

 _'But that specialty didn't calm her down. She is still anxious about everything.'_

He knew he meant every word he said. He was going to go to Sinnoh. After seeing Paul beaten by Cynthia when they were in Sinnoh, he wanted to challenge her himself. And what was better than challenging her in an official battle for Sinnoh Championship?

He really wanted Dawn to stay by his side, not because he said so but only if she wanted. He didn't want to force his decision on her, it would be unfair. He didn't stop her when she said she had to stay in Sinnoh for pokemodelling. He wouldn't force her even if it breaks his heart.

The girl was twirling him at tip of her fingers and she didn't even have to try. Nor that he minded.

"Buddy?" Ash spoke up,"Can we go train? What's better than practice?" As Pikachu chirped in agreement, Ash sighed in relief. At least it would keep him distracted for a while. Her thoughts always ended up reminding him that she wasn't his...yet.

He hadn't seen Dawn since the heart swapping back and he was sure Gary had carried them back to their rooms. And he had to thank him too. He was sure Gary knew about his feelings from a long time and maybe that's why he stuck around, to make them realize their feelings for each other. Ash chuckled at the thought, Gary was acting like their little cupid. He just wished that the Cupid's trick would work. Well, it did for him at least.

His mind was going back to her again. He shook his head again to clear of his mind.

"Gotta thank Gary too!"

''Pi?"

Ash laughed when Pikachu gave him a surprised look. No way he was gonna spill about his secret,"No Pikachu. Gary is still a dork but for the past few days, he helped me a lot."

"Cha!"

"What do you mean that I'm normal now?" Ash blushed. Pikachu hadn't figured that, had he?

"Pika! Pikachu!" The electric mouse chirped sweetly and Ash gave a sigh of relief, saying,"You mean during the past month, I was behaving like Dawn?"

"Cha!"

Ash laughed,"Yeah. Gotta admit I took more than longer time for bath and always freaked out for my messy hair." Ash couldn't help the colour rising to his cheeks. Dawn was a sucker for perfection. She always made sure he looked presentable.

He knew she washed him off, or washed herself off when they were swapped because of her old habits.

"Lets go get some battle practice!" Ash said while pulling the chuckling mouse with him. After all, the little rodent was teasing him more than necessary.

And to his surprise, he found an old friend waiting for him the practice arena.

"Long time no see, Ash. Hope life's treating you well," The purple hair girl greeted him happily,"I knew I would find you here!"

"Espe!"

What was the last time he saw her? Back in his battle frontier days! Ash remembered now!

Ash stared at her in surprise before a toothy grin broke on his face,"Long time no see! How are ya?"

* * *

There was no reason to be anxious.

But Dawn really was.

She wasn't just anxious. She was freaking out. And it wasn't because of her hair.

The brunette chuckled beside her as he watched Piplup cheering for Pikachu from the sidelines.

Ash had met the lilac eyed and lilac haired, physic Pokémon user, the Salon Maiden Anabel of Battle Tower while searching for a trainer to battle.

And right now, they were having a practice battle.

Dawn knew that the boy loved her but why was she freaking out? They weren't dating and so she had no right to barge in there and say anything. Nor that he would cheat on her, Ash was loyal. More than she could admit. Wait, since did practicing battles with someone make the person disloyal?

She wasn't afraid about Ash. Infact, her heart was beating fast because of the glances Anabel was throwing at Ash's direction. Her lilac eyes had appreciation for Ash, pride at his development and happiness for his presence but most importantly, it had love. And Dawn knew it because it is the same way she uses to look and steal a glance at Ash.

"You have it hard, Dawn."

Dawn slapped her forehead and didn't even try to hide her embarrassment. She forgot Gary was here. And to her peril, the professor in making was perceptive.

"Well, you didn't answer."

Dawn sighed as Gary repeated his question. She silently admitted,"Yeah, perhaps, maybe. I don't know."

Gary chuckled at her flushed face as he continued,"Ashy-boy is going pretty well. He has grown, physically as well as mentally."

Dawn smiled despite seeing how Ash was smiling warmly at Anabel when Pikachu landed a strong iron tail on Espeon, making it skid back a few steps.

Gary saw her lost expression and an uncharacteristic soft smile formed at the corner of his lips. He coughed to get back her attention. The blunette sheepishly scratched her neck at her zoning out,"Sorry about that."

Gary gave her a poker face,"Yeah. I don't understand what you see in that boy anyways."

Dawn could list off a thousand reason and still it won't be enough. She thought it over. Did he fall for him because of all those reasons? She shook her head as she thought deeply. She fell in love with Ash and the other attributes to his character were just bonus.

"He is Ash. And that alone makes him mesmerizing," Dawn admitted, trying to ignore the wild beating of her heart.

When she saw Gary silent for longer than usual, she turned in his direction, seeing Espeon unable to battle from the periphery of her eyes as Ash gave Pikachu a gentle stroke.

She heard Anabel summoning her Metagross and Ash confidently called out Torterra.

"What is the matter Gary?" She asked seeing Gary lost in thoughts.

"You know that he loves you right?"

Dawn stayed silent. She knew it, and she didn't know why Gary was suddenly so serious about it. Not trusting her voice, she nodded in approval.

She heard Gary suck in a breathe, before he spoke up,"And what do you feel for him?"

What she felt for him? She loved him, more than one would love just her best friend.

She silently admitted,"I.. I am...I-In love with him."

She was waiting for Gary to say a crude comment but that never came. Rubbing her palms on her bare arms to keep her calm, she softly asked,"Why are you asking me this Gary?"

It took a while before Gary answered,"What is stopping you?"

"What?"

Gary sighed as he repeated again,"What is stopping you from getting closer to him?"

Dawn couldn't answer. She bit her tongue to calm herself down. She knew Gary wouldn't judge her, he would support her but it wasn't helping to calm down her anxiety. Gary saw the worry in her eyes and rolled his eyes. Why did he have to be the Cupid in every case?

"I'm just...afraid.." Dawn slowly admitted.

"Afraid of?"

Dawn made a face at another hard question,"Afraid of changes."

"You're afraid that things will change and you both can never go back to normal?" Gary said and Dawn nodded in awe, as if Gary had read her mind.

Gary chuckled at her lost expression as he explained himself,"No, I'm not any mind reader. I know because Leaf was the same."

"The same?"

"Yeah, she was afraid of changes. We were lab partners for a long while and I fell in love with her back then. I thought she felt the same due to all the hints but when I proposed her, she fainted."

The way Gary explained everything, the faint blush on his cheek mixed with the amusement in his voice, Dawn stuffed a laugh as she asked,"Fainted?"

"Yah. It took a lot of convincing to make her believe I wasn't just flirting. She was afraid of changes too, she was afraid I'll break her heart."

Dawn teased,"There is a chance."

As if offended, Gary gave her a mock hurt face,"Ouch. I think my heart broke."

Despite the attempt to lighten the atmosphere, Dawn just took a deep breath as she looked over to where Ash was. For a second she felt like he had looked in her direction but shrugged it off. Nothing could distract Ash from a battle.

"Leaf is Leaf Gary. She is strong, she is smart and she doesn't ponder over her loss, instead works extra hard. And I? Look at me? Why would someone want to be with me? I mean both Misty and Serena had crushes on Ash and they're way prettier than I am, they are stronger and well accomplished. They..."

Gary quickly pulled the sobbing girl into a hug as he drew circles on her back to calm her anxiety. Dawn's tears began soaking his shirt but he couldn't care.

"You're not afraid of changes," A sudden memory clicked in Gary's mind,"You are just afraid of losing Ash."

"What?"

Gary helped Dawn sit down again as he explained,"May be that's why you didn't come to Kanto after he finished Sinnoh League. You didn't want to look like a cub, following him around. You thought it would be better if you stay friends because you imagined you could never be more than that. Right?"

Dawn thought over Gary's words. She slowly admitted,"Yeah.. I'm afraid that if I aim for more, I'll lose even his friendship."

"Are you so unsure about your bond with him?" Gary asked.

She shook her head, denying it completely,"Not at all. I'm sure nothing can break our friendship, I have faith."

Gary laughed, getting a small pout from her.

"Sorry!" Gary laughed harder, clutching his stomach,"You're.."

"What the hell Gary!" Dawn pouted harder.

"You're contradicting yourself."

Gary's word took her by surprise. She opened her mouth to say something only to close it soon to rethink as she asked,"Contradicting myself?"

Gary calmed down as he began speaking,"Yes. You're afraid of changes, you think things will change if you take a step yet you believe the bond you have with Ash cannot be broken."

Seeing the girl quiet, Gary asked,"So tell me, what do you really feel."

"I don't know. I really don't know now."

Gary sucked his teeth as he saw her mentally thinking about it.

"Say Dawn," Gary broke her out of her trance again,"Will you answer me correctly? I need heart-to-heart conversation."

"I'll try."

"You love Ash?"

Dawn facepalmed at the question. With a slight blush on her cheek, she answered,"Obviously."

"And what is more important, Ash or your future?"

Dawn narrowed her eyes at his question. He was looking at her with examining eyes and she felt like a prey under his gaze. Shifting uncomfortably, she meekly replied,"If the future doesn't have him, what is it worth of?"

Gary broke his gaze and looked away, seeing Ash now fighting Metagross. Torterra had used solar beam on the steel Pokémon while Metagross was barely able to pull out a hyper beam due to all the damage it had taken.

"Ash is trying. He is not perfect Dawn, he is stubborn but he is determined too. It hurts him yet he is giving you time to get over your insecurities. It breaks his heart when he feels that you can't be his but he doesn't want to force you," Gary said, his eyes never leaving Ash battling with his pokemons.

Dawn bit her lip as she struggled with an answer,"I know. I'm just.."

"Confused? Scared? Insecured? It is okay. These feelings are normal. Love is a risk Dawn, Ash is willing to take a risk. I know you love him and that is why you don't want to hurt him, don't want to spoil anything you've with him," Gary saw the tears lining up her eyes,"Right?"

She exhaled,"Yeah. I am afraid to cross the line which separates friendship from love. I'm confused why I'm so scared when I know he will never hurt me willingly. I just don't know."

Gary placed a hand on top of her head as she shook, barely controlling her tears.

"You already crossed a line when you started loving him. You can never go back to being just friends with him Dawn. I don't want to brainwash you or anything. Just think about it. Take a chance. It is okay if it doesn't work out, experience will never fail you. And if it works out, you'll never regret any moment."

Gary was taken by surprise when Dawn asked,"What if our feelings change?"

"Friendship is always stronger than relationship. Ash will not lose you over something like this, you know right."

Dawn was taken aback by the comment. He was right. Ash himself told that whatever happens they will always have each other's back.

"Gary..."

Smacking his head, he hissed out,"Wait. Just answer one more thing. Will you or can you even imagine Ash ending up with any other girl?"

Dawn visibly paled as a quick,"Shut up! Are you crazy!" escaped her lips. She couldn't even think about it. Ash cuddling with another girl, kissing her and sleeping... Urrgh. She shook her head to remove the sinful thought.

"And can you accept anyone else in place of Ash?"

"No..."

"Do you want to regret any moment? Do whatever you want Dawn but don't miss out on love. It will leave you regretting every second."

Gary smirked as he saw her embarrassed face. She didn't even try fighting her blush as she hastily turned away from him,"Gaah! I'm so embarrassed."

She could hear him chuckle and she blushed deeper,"Gary.."

Ruffling her hair, she heard him saying,"Now, you know what you want?"

She nodded as she looked over at Ash as he was now battling Anabel's Gardeviour using his Buizel.

"I know now Gary. I needed the talk," Dawn giggled.

"Then go for it. It may not work out but you won't know until you try. It will be unfair if anything like unrequited love breaks him."

Dawn watched as she saw Gary speaking about Ash. They grew up together since they were infants and she knew, Gary treated him more like a younger brother who needed help sometimes. She smiled warmly.

"Gary..."

He groaned, thinking she had more questions,"Yeah?"

She gave him a genuine smile,"Thank you."

A creepy smirk formed on his lips as he smugly said,"Well, you can repay me by not telling anyone I gave you this talk."

Dawn rolled her eyes as she waved his statement off,"Well, Leaf is lucky I must say, who knew you could be so sweet."

Gary smirked harder,"Now, now. I know I'm irresistible but try not to fall for me. I've a girlfriend who loves me."

Dawn gave him a blank expression before saying,"Forget that I ever called you sweet."

Gary and Dawn were chatting for a while and turned when they heard Ash approach them. With Anabel.

"Hey guys," Ash introduced Anabel,"She is Anabel, Salon Maiden of Battle Tower. Anabel, meet Gary and Dawn."

Dawn bit her lip slightly as she tried to muster a sweet smile,"Nice to meet ya."

"Likewise," the short, lilac haired girl wished her too.

"Ash, I need to.." Before Dawn could complete her sentence, Ash put Pikachu in her arms with rest of his pokeballs as he gave her a sheepish smile,"I'm kinda hungry and Anabel said that she is gonna treat me today. Can you take my buddies to Nurse Joey?"

Dumbed by his sudden request, she looked at Ash who was hoping she would agree, Gary, who was amused and Anabel, who, Dawn stiffened, was blushing for some reason.

Ash shook her out of her trauma,"Will you?"

She blinked once,"Sure." He laughed,"I knew I could always depend on ya!"

Once Ash and Anabel walked away, Dawn stomped her foot impatiently as Gary chuckled behind her.

"This is not funny at all Gary," Dawn said while rolling her eyes.

"Pi?"

"Right. You must be hungry too, right Pikachu?"

"Chaaa!"

Dawn smiled despite the situation. It relieved her that he was trusting her with his pokemons and she decided to do the same.

Have faith in him.

* * *

"Fuck faith. What's taking Ash so long?" Dawn groaned in her pillow. The penguin Pokémon was constantly running his fin over her head to calm her down but to no avail.

"Pip."

"I know Piplup that just half an hour has passed!"

The blue penguin chirped harder, showing how much he hated seeing her like that. Dawn frowned, sensing its discomfort,"So? I know Ash loves to eat! And that takes time!"

"Piplup!"

"Come on Piplup! He knows I wanted to talk to him so can't he hurry! Oh my Arcues! He hasn't decided to move on, right?" Dawn panicked as she hastily got up, knocking Piplup over. The poor Pokémon landed on the cold floor, glaring and hurling angry accusations at her.

"Oh my! Why am I a fool! He is going to go all lovey-dovey with Anabel, all cuddly and kissy and urrgh... What will I do now?"

Her rant was stopped by Piplup who blew some bubbles on her face, getting her attention.

"Pip!"

She sat down, crouching to get at his level. Putting a hand on her neck to scratch away her discomfort, she asked,"Yeah. I'm overreacting. Sorry. No need to worry right?"

The Pokémon visibly lightened up as he pointed at the door,"Piplup! Pip!"

She stared at the door then back at him,"You want me to go and talk to him?"

The blue penguin nodded.

"Now?"

He nodded again.

"Isn't he talking with Ana..."

Before she could complete, the blue water Pokémon pecked her on the head, angrily huffing,"Pip! Lup! Pip!"

"That hurt Piplup. And fine. I'm going! No need to be so violent!" She groaned as she rubbed her sore forehead.

* * *

Dawn was now silently walking toward the cafeteria, knowing Ash was there. With Anabel.

The girl was pretty. Heck, Ash travelled all around the world with pretty companions. Misty, May, Iris and Serena! Some even had a crush on him, like Angie and Serena!

Dawn's hands balled up in fists. No, Ash didn't have any romantic feeling toward anyone else. He loved her, he told her he did! And she saw the look, the care, the passion, the desire and the love in his eyes. She hadn't seen it for anyone else, except her.

"Chill Dawn. There is no need to worry!"

She kept repeating it like a mantra as she pushed open the cafeteria door.

Only to freeze in her tracks.

There was Ash, chatting with Anabel happily. She hadn't seen a smile on his face since that ice cave incident. A pang of jealousy shot in her veins as she saw Ash laughing at something Anabel had said.

Was it okay to feel insecure without even being in a relationship?

She couldn't deny that seeing him smile was making her happy inside too but it should have been her, to make him laugh instead of Anabel. She smacked her forehead at that possessive thought.

Ash hadn't noticed her presence but Anabel did. Dawn noticed Anabel visibly tensing up as she clearly heard the lilac eyed girl say,"Ash, there is something I have been waiting to tell you.''

"Yeah?"

"I like you, since we met at the Battle Tower. I understood that mental connections between a trainer and a Pokémon can be established without psychic ability. You inspire me Ash. I really like you. You and I can be Battle Prince and Maiden duo, think about it."

Dawn felt her heart throbbing wildly as a big lump formed in her throat. Wasn't she expecting it already? Then why was just facing it turning so hard?

Ash hadn't replied Anabel yet, and since his back was turned at her, she was unable to read his expression. He wasn't even moving a muscle and Dawn couldn't understand what was going through his mind.

Was he thinking to accept the offer? He had every reason to be. Anabel loved him, she was beautiful and strong. Moreover she wasn't hurting Ash as she did in the past few days.

Ash was a great guy who hated seeing anyone sad because of him. Dawn bit her lip harshly. The time when she rejected him flashed through her mind. Was Ash having the same thoughts, was he weighing the outcomes?

 _Did I lose him, forever?_

Ash gently removed his palm from Anabel's as he gave her a soft smile. Anabel understood as she let out the breath she had been holding, asking,"I knew it."

"Sorry. Its just that, I really love her," Ash admitted, not knowing Dawn was watching him.

Anabel gave him a soft smile,"But you're not together, yet?"

He shook his head,"No. But it isn't important. Having her as a friend is more than enough. If she isn't ready, I'll wait. I really love her."

Dawn was at a loss of words.

"Dawn is someone I'll never give up on. Even if she ends up loving someone else, I can never hate her. We will stay friends. Nothing can change it because we are friends first and umm.. You know," Ash nervously scratched his head.

Anabel stole a glance at Dawn which Dawn clearly understood. _Make him happy, keep him happy._

Dawn promised. _I will. He has my heart and you have my word._

Wiping her tears away, shs softly patted her cheeks, taking a deep breath.

Ash looked startled as he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. Turning back, he smiled warmly at the smiling blunette,"Heya Dawn!" Then he remembered, as he shyly looked away, trying to hide his red face,"You didn't hear anything right?"

Anabel silently excused herself but Dawn shook her head,"Mind if I borrow Ash for a minute?"

Ash gulped again. Was she going to blow up again?

Anabel smiled warmly,"Sure. I'll be okay!"

Ash was pulled up by her as she giggled softly at his horrified expression,"I didn't hear anything I wasn't supposed to." Though Ash was curious to what it meant, he decided not to ask her about it.

"Good luck, Ash and Dawn." The lilac eyed girl didn't stop her tears from forming and flowing.

Sometimes love results in heartbreak but it doesn't mean it wasn't worth it.

* * *

Ash was absentmindedly following Dawn. He didn't know where he was being dragged to but he didn't say anything. He would follow her to other end of the earth if she asks him to.

Her heart was beating erratically, a thousand thoughts forming in her mind.

 _You are more important than proving anything Dawn._

Maybe Ash didn't mean it, the kiss, intimately. Maybe he was trying to prove how much she meant to him. Maybe... There were thousand different possibilities yet she felt a slight comfort in her heart that he wanted it to be her.

He promised they will stay as good friends even if things don't work out. She knows one can't go back to being friends again but at least he wouldn't ignore her. She knows things will work out.

 _No matter what, you'll stay my best friend. We may change but that's a thing which won't change._

 _I knew I could always depend on ya!_

Because like him, she knows she could depend on him. Having him as a friend is more than enough. Because she would wait for him too.

 _Having her as a friend is more than enough._

 _I'll wait._

 _I really love her._

Ash's words were still ringing in her ears. And she was warm inside.

 **Because I love him too.**

She stopped as she found she had reached her destination. Ash, who was quiet for the whole journey, stiffened when he glanced around his surrounding.

"Why are we here?" He asked, confused why she would drag him here, of all places. Especially when she ran away from here, crying.

She let go of his hand and turned around, facing him. Ash saw a soft pink glow on her cheeks and smiled. Hope was pinging at him and he clutched to it like lifeline. Maybe she was blushing due to the close contact.

"We need to talk!" She slowly blurted out when Ash began shifting uncomfortably in his place. She just needed something to deviate her mind and get to the point. A small déjà vu crossed his mind and he was reminded of how he had blurted it out in panic when he had gone to talk to her.

He nodded, trying to calm himself down. He could always panic later. Right now, the fumbling and shuttering girl needed his attention. In a slow, rasp voice, he squealed,"I'm listening."

"Why did you choose me?"

He gave a short, startled laugh, thanking god that she wasn't angry for previous attempts. Seeing her waiting face, a small smirk crossed in his lips. She needed and answed, and he would give it to her,"Because.."

She gulped as he paused.

"Because what Ash.." His smirk as well the prolonged silence was creeping her out. She absentmindedly began rubbing her arms over the thick coat to calm herself down.

He smiled again, sensing her nervousness. It made him happy that she came to him to talk and sort out her feelings. It made him believe that nothing could ever change. Thus, after placing a hand on her pink, flushed cheek, he spoke up,"Because you're Dawn. You mean so much more to me. You make me happy. When you're happy, I'm happy too. When you're angry and we fight, I stop when I see you trembling and shaking, because having you is more important than proving a point. When you're sad and I can't do anything, I feel helpless. We can't decide whom we fall for and I'm glad my heart chose you.''

Dawn was standing still in her tracks at his confession. Feeling that he had offended her, he slowly wiped away the single tear which escaped her eye, whispering soothingly,"Hey! Don't cry.''

She knew the answer but she wanted to hear it from him,"What if things don't work out? What if our feelings change?"

Ash laughed softly, tucking her hair behind her ear, feeling relaxed when she leaned into his touch.

"Change is a wonderful thing Dawn. We can never stay what we are now. Our bond might get stronger or weaker. Depends on what we do to save what we have. I know I can't go back to being just friends because in my heart, I'll always have a special place for you. I know you feel the same," he explained.

She bit her lip as she wrapped ber arms around him, taking him by surprise.

He could feel her shaking, feel her crying. Not understanding what to do to console her, he began drawing circles on her back to calm her down.

"Dawn? Shh. Don't cry."

"I don't wanna regret.." She spoke between sobs,"I really don't wanna regret."

He frowned,"What?"

"You love me? Do you still love me?"

Ash softly pulled her closer as he began running his inexperienced fingers though her hair,"Yes. I love you."

"Even after knowing there are far more pretty and stronger girls than me?"

"Maybe. But they aren't you. They can never be you."

"Oh Ash.."

The duo stayed like that for a while, neither moving nor saying anything. Just finding comfort in each other's presence.

When the silence became unbearable, Dawn slowly pushed him off, getting a low groan of discomfort from him.

"Ash?"

Feeling that he had overstepped his boundaries, he stayed still. His breath stopped dead in his lungs as she softly asked,"Can I tell you something?"

He nodded silently, knowing what she was going to say. She was probably going to tell him that she couldn't go to Sinnoh with him, she didn't want to make it harder for both of them then it already was.

"Is your offer still valid?"

He crooked his eyebrows as he asked,"What offer?"

He dismissed the thought that he found a soft blush on her cheek.

"Can I still join you on your journey?"

As soon as he understood what she was saying, a toothy grin appeared on his lips. He was going to say yes when she shyly asked,"But I've one condition."

As soon as the smile was formed, it was gone. She wanted to travel just as friends. He knew it. Yet he tried to smile forcefully,"What?"

It was now or never. Dawn took her hand in his as she raised on her toes, giggling on seeing his confused face. She softly whispered in his ear,"I want to travel as your girlfriend. I love you."

Ash couldn't believe his ears. She was going to reciprocate his feeling? She said she loved him back. Thinking himself to be under some lovely magical mirage, he quickly asked,

"Say it again?"

She gave him a glare as she recomposed herself, placing a hand on her hips as she asked,"Are you playing dumb?"

He quickly waved his hands in front of his face, trying to soothe the girl who went sweet to angry in a second,"I was just... I was trying to make sure my mind isn't playing tricks."

He watched as she raised on her toes again, pulling him down by his collar as she placed a soft kiss on his lips.

He could feel her giggle as she slowly kissed him but being the dumb kid he was, he stood there silently, trying to process everything.

"I said," she pecked him again,"I love you." She silenced him again when he was going to speak, with a kiss,"Will you be my boyfriend?"

Dawn felt his strong arms around her waist as he pulled her into a hug. She could feel his warm breath on her neck and it was making her shiver. "Finally came back to your senses huh?" She teased.

He was on cloud nine. He felt like the happiest person alive. She was accepting him! It took a while but she was his now! They could be together and this thought alone was sending happiness surging through his veins.

"What took you so long?" His voice came as a soft whisper.

Dawn laughed softly, her hands still roaming wildly in his head, caressing his hair,"I'm a slow leaner after all."

He chuckled despite the serious situation they were in.

"But are you really fine with it? Do you feel forced?" The last thing he wanted was to pull her into something without her consent.

"I don't. I was insecured, scared but these damn feelings for you pushed me forward. I want to take a risk for you. Because you're worth everything Ash. You're worth all the heartbreak, the pain, the happiness, everything."

She smiled widely when he pressed his lips against hers softly. This time, he was taking it slow. Theirs hands were roaming freely, his were rubbing small circles on her petite back with his right hand on her cheek while hers were snaked around his neck, desperate to keep him in place.

His lips were a contrast to hers, a little rough with an indescribable masculine taste to it, which was perfectly his, and only his. Their lips were moving in sync. It was their second kiss, and Dawn could feel his emotions, love and care he was pouring in it.

It was sloppy, imperfect just like they were but somehow it was perfect.

They could always practice to make it perfect.

Dawn giggled when Ash suddenly sneezed, forcing them to break the kiss.

"Ehh.. That was gross!" Dawn laughed as he rubbed his nose. Ash gave her a soft glare,"Atleast I didn't sneeze on your face."

She couldn't help but laugh,"You're gross. No kissing till you watch your face and hands!"

"Fine. Lets hang out a little longer here!" Ash laughed.

She rolled her eyes as she threatened him to skin him alive,"You'll get sick if you stay here, in this cold cave any longer. This dress isn't warming us up."

Ash mischievously rubbed his palms together as he moved closer to her. Seeing his creepy eyes, she giggled as she broke in a run, crying,"I don't like that look in your eyes!"

He grinned as he dashed after her, laughing as calling,"Hey! I just wanted you to warm me up in this cold place!"

Unknown to them, two mystic Pokémon, who were still in Sinnoh, felt a satisfying wave wash over them. The spirit of emotions, Mesprit and the spirit of Willpower, Azelf felt happy when the person that they had choosen to bind with chose each other.

The two stupid and dense teenagers were finally giving each other and love a chance.

* * *

The blue eyed, brown haired girl scowled at the boy in front of her.

Gary smirked as he placed his trainer's card on the machine, a small humm playing on his lips.

As he took out his trainer's card, he grinned widely at her,"Thanks for the money, Leafy."

Leaf scowled and Gary laughed on seeing the brunette slamming her fists on the desk, as she said,"Dammit Gary! You were not supposed to help them. They got together because you interfered."

Gary laughed harder,"Nops. They would've ended up together anyhow. I just speeded up the procedure."

Leaf sat down, speaking at the videophone,"You really care for him, don't you?"

"Well, he deserves some stuff, doesn't he?"

Leaf laughed at his pathetic excuse,"What ever you say Gary. Well, my Venasaur is excited to meet you, I guess she really liked that potion you used on her."

"Very well," Gary laughed again, not wanting to sound happy that he was about to meet her again in a few hours,"Smell ya soon."

As they disconnected the phone, Gary laughed fondly at how Leaf wanted to see him too but didn't say it directly by covering it under the excuse of Venasaur.

''You put a bet on us!" Gary heard two voices calling out to him. He turned around, smirking when he saw intertwined hands of Ash and Dawn.

"So you two are actually dating now?" Gary teased.

Dawn's face began heating up in embarrassment as she quickly hid herself behind Ash, who was just laughing.

"Well, we are." Ash proudly stated.

Gary rolled his eyes as Dawn was throwing punches on his bag in embarrassment.

"Well, Manaphy is fine too. This afternoon, it left on its own," Gary informed with a smile on his face. He asked again,"It was a hell of a journey right?"

The new couple nodded in agreement as Dawn leaned against Ash's arm. The raven haired boy put a soft kiss on her head, whispering softly,"But I wouldn't swap it for anything else."

Dawn laughed too,"Right. Don't want to have it any other way."

* * *

 **Yes! Yes! Yes!**

 **They're together now! Did you like it? The proposal scene? I was just goofing around with it and then got the idea! Hope that you all liked it!**

 **Can you believe that its over? *Softly weeps***

 **I wasn't supposed to update until 5th April. But this chapter was done and I just gave my Biology exam a few hours ago. So I quickly proofread it and added this long authors note! Hey! I love to talk, not my fault. Damn my mind which doesn't let me rest until I write something I thought of.**

 **Hit that review button! And wait for the epilogue! Regarding the epilogue, I'm still working on it and trust me, I've no idea about what to do. You know, I want to do something different but not so cliché. Damn its hard. So, I'm just putting this fic under 'completed' section but I'll add an epilogue. Sooner...**

 **~ darkestlightofhope**


	13. Chapter 13: Epilogue

**Hey guys!**

 **Here is the epilogue!**

 **My baby is ending officially today and though I'm happy, it makes me a little sad too!**

 **But finally the epilogue!**

 **And here is the disclaimer for the final time!**

 **I don't own Pokémon or any of its characters. They belong to their respective owners and developers. I just own the plot. Story requested by ObeliskX. Coauthor: KateAvenir who dumped me due to personal problems after chapter 8.**

* * *

.

Ash slowly ran his calloused fingers through her hair, making her moan when he softly tugged at its roots. Their lips connected in a kiss, their lips moving in sync. Dawn felt her back hitting the mattress of the bed of the room they were staying at and soon enough Ash was hovering over her.

She giggled when he impatiently took of his coat followed by her pink sleeved jacket to expose her pink top.

"Impatient?" She teased as he began tracing kisses down her exposed neck. She heard a soft growl coming from his throat and she began pulling his raven locks when he began sucking her neck.

"I'm kind of scared," Ash spoke up, looking up and facing her. She pressed her palms against his own and took in his woody cologne, hiding her flushed face in his chest, softly murmuring,"Come on Ash. You're defeated the Kanto Champion. You should have more confidence in your abilities."

His fingers were running on her now exposed arms, she reconnected their lips, her hands finding its way to his back, scratching the place softly. Tugging on the soft skin, she massaged his back, making him groan her name,"Dawn.." Never had he imagined that such a soft touch and tug of hair could possibly send so much pleasure surging through his veins.

He slowly slid his hands inside her top, running his hands wildly on her soft, creamy skin. When he felt her taking a deep breath, he almost stopped only to continue when he heard her say,"Oh Ash.. Please don't stop."

"I feel like I'm using you for distraction," he stopped completely as he said it. She shook her head slowly as she made him face her, looking at his eyes directly, softly saying,"Nops. I know we are doing it willingly. Don't hesitate. I'm not serving as a distraction Ash. You just need to focus on something else except the coming battle."

"They are the same thing."

Seeing his drooping voice, she placed a kiss on his cheek then his nose, slowly tracing it along his jawline, making him groan. He felt blood rushing to his groin as he cursed again,"Fuck."

"You need to relax. Come on, look at me. Anyone will be scared to go against Cynthia in an official battle," she whispered in his ears, biting the earlobe as he asked again,"But.."

"I know what you want," she ran her fingers over his arousal to slowly stroke him as he hissed in pleasure again. She smirked as she reconnected their lips, saying,"And I want you too."

Their lips fighting for dominance, Dawn slowly made small circles on his perfectly tanned chest, smiling as he was just in his vest. A moan escaped her lips as she felt Ash running his warm hands on her back, his fingers coming to halt every time he felt the edge of her bra. Smirking at his flushed face, she hugged him tighter, pressing her own breasts against his chest, only a thin fabric of her top separating them.

"If you do that," he hissed as he got rid of her skirt,"I'll lose control."

"I can't wait!" She giggled at his touch.

* * *

.

When Dawn woke up the next morning, it was already 8am and she stirred slowly. Her body was pressed tightly against Ash's chest, his arms putting her in place.

She could feel his hot breath on her neck, his rhythmic heartbeat falling in sync with her own. He was a deep sleeper, and slept even more after a night of profound and intense love making.

She blushed at the thought. It had been fours years since they started dating and things were going great. Except for the normal fights, or when he tried to peek while she was in the shower. That was a story of different time. He had challenged the Kanto Elite Four thrice, making it to the top in his third attempt. She had stayed by his side, occasionally travelling to various parts to act as a contest judge due to her reputation.

Her Mom couldn't be more proud when she won Kanto Grand Festival and Ash openly kissed her on stage. She was embarrassed but who wouldn't be? The whole world was watching! It also filled her with pride when people knew she had the attention of Ash Ketchum. At least the frequent proposals Ash used to receive reduced. Though the amount decreased, some crazy obsessed fans were 'advising' Ash to let go of Dawn and choose them.

Ash would often tease her with those letters and Dawn would then simply point toward the shredding machine, showing her own pile of letters. Ash always kept the good ones and along with Dawn, enjoyed shredding those papers which told them to give up on each other.

Her Mom couldn't make it in time due to annual Twinleaf festival when Dawn had won but was ecstatic to find her daughter, finally happy with the man she loved.

It was also the first time when they finally took their relationship to next level.

Dawn blushed at the thought. It was three years ago and one thing led to other and she couldn't believe how tender he was with her. Well, after knowing it wasn't hurting her anymore, he showed her how rough and messy it could get too.

Making love was messy and Dawn wouldn't choose anyone except him to do it with.

She tried to move out of the bed slowly only to be pulled into his arms. Squeaking like a child, she asked,"You're awake?"

"Yep!" He sleepily muttered,"Where were you going?"

Turning to face him, she slowly wiped away the little drool on his face, answering,"To take a bath."

"We still have time," he whispered,"Sleep."

She giggled as she slowly pressed his nose with her fingers,"Get up or we're gonna be late for your battle."

He groaned slightly as he tried to open his eyes,"I wanna sleep more."

"Stop groaning like a child Ketchum and get up! We need to meet your Mom and others at the cafeteria!"

"As you say Mrs. Ketchum," he teased.

She quickly began throwing light punches at his chest in embarrassment as she muttered,"We are not married yet!" _And you haven't proposed to me officially, yet._ Though Dawn knew that it would come sooner or later, she still wanted him to go on his knees and propose to her.

"We will be when you finish your one year internship at Unova. Just a month left, right?" He sleepily asked, trying to rub the sleep off his eyes. He slowly got up, with Dawn still in his arms.

"Yup! Just gotta supervise a few contests and I'll be done there," the blue haired maiden happily replied. Her tone wavered slightly,"Marriage huh?" Ash sensed what was going through her mind and smirked. Just few more hours.

"Are you sure about settling in Alola?" He asked as he began pressing soft kisses on her neck, deviating the topic. A soft whimper came out of her lips as she gripped his hands which were roaming freely on her exposed torso. "Ash...we will be late.."

He smiled against her skin as she took a deep breath when he sucked on her neck. "A-ash!"

He groaned and turned her around as he pressed another sloppy kiss on her lips.

"Alola is a nice place," she mumbled between the kisses, answering his previous question. He chuckled as pressed his forehead against her, asking,"And it's not because of the offer I got to become a member of Elite Four there?"

She giggled as she tried to escape from his grip only to be pulled back closer,"No. I got Poke modelling offer there. That is why."

He laughed, teasing,"Right. I trust you.."

"Hey!"

"I guess they had no choice but to take you in there," Ash boasted, flexing his almost non existent biceps,"After all I'm your boyfriend."

He experienced a soft jab on his chest and Dawn was laughing,"Right. After all someone had declined the offer to become a member of elite Four to be with his girlfriend."

He visibly paled,"How do you know that?"

"I've my sources," came the reply.

"Dawn..."

"No way am I telling you that!"

* * *

.

No one said defeating Cynthia would be easy. She had years of experience and also treated her Pokémon with kindness and compassion. So when Ash lost the battle against her, he wasn't sad. In fact, he was boasting to have pushed her to use her trump card, her Garchomp.

They were celebrating, not the victory of Cynthia nor the defeat of Ash. It was a congratulatory get together to wish Ash and Dawn a beautiful career in Alola. Johanna was happy that her little girl had finally surpassed her and Delia... She was excited, after all she was moving to Alola with them.

Her son was always on the move. He never stayed too long after competing in any region and was always travelling around. Now, after he got the offer to become an Elite Four at Alola, he decided to settle down there.

He was representing the diversity type user of the Alola Elite Four. Delia knew for sure that it wouldn't take much longer before he would be the champion himself.

She knew Dawn's feeling for him when she quietly left after seeing Serena and Ash together but didn't say anything. She wanted her son and Dawn to figure things out.

That was also the reason why she didn't tell them she knew about the heartswap.

She was his mother, she carried him in her womb for nine long months. Of course she could tell what was wrong with her son. Delia giggled at her thoughts. She loved to see his flustered face whenever she teased him in front of everyone about what he forgot to change daily but she also knew that somethings are better left undiscovered.

So when Ash and Dawn told her about it, she acted as if she was surprised.

She watched as the two interacted. Everyone was here, Brock and his five months old pregnant wife, Holly, May and her soon to be husband, Drew, Max and the whole Maple family, Misty and her sisters, Gary and his spouse, Leaf Oak.

From the corner of her eyes she could see Kenny throwing jealous looks at Ash. Delia sighed. Childhood, obsessive crush.

Serena had finally moved on and to Delia's surprise, she and Clemont were dating for more than a few years.

Paul and Zoey were trying to sort out things too. Everyone was settling down.

Delia watched Johanna talking with Maple's family. Often her eyes would glance between May and Drew to Ash and Dawn.

Dawn's mother was having the same doubts.

Delia knew that Johanna had approved their children's relationship but she was a mother.

Didn't every mother wished to see her Princess in a wedding gown?

Delia knew Ash was stupid but had he made any plans about them?

Suddenly, Delia watched as Ash excused himself and went to his Pokemons and giving something to them. Wait a second.. was Ash...

She proudly smiled at him.

* * *

.

Dawn frowned when she saw Ash leaving her again. Was he still worried about his battle? He lost but that didn't mean he hadn't enjoyed it. Knocking out a champion's five Pokémon with just four wasn't an understatement. Only if Pikachu and Grejinja would've hanged a little longer.

It wasn't that they fainted. Both had taken serious injuries from battle and Ash didn't want to hurt them any furthur.

She watched Ash's Osowatt making its way towards her, carrying a small paper in its paws. Dawn scooped down and took the paper from him while scratching his chin, making the water type purr.

The Pokemon ran away soon, smirking after noticing how threateningly Piplup was staring at him.

Dawn slowly got up, and opened the folded paper. There was just one word written on it.

 **Can**

Dawn frowned. What!

What was Ash thinking? She looked around but he was no where to be found. She noticed how Brock carried his wife and put her down on a chair. The woman was tired, Dawn could tell. She stared longingly at the noticeable bump on Holly's stomach. A baby. Would Ash like to have a baby with her? Was he even planning on marrying her?

She shook her head. Ash wanted everything to settle down first. His career and hers. He even brought a house in Alola. Of course he was planning to take her with him. It was just a matter of time when he would take the next step. Her soliloquy was broken by a small tug on her knee length, white gown.

She quickly noticed that this time, it was his Bulbasaur which was offering her a note from its extended vine. She thanked the Pokémon who quickly made his way out. Probably to reunite with all of Ash's pokemon who were outside.

When Dawn opened the note, her frown deepened. She found just another single word,

 **Our**

Was Ash testing her patience?

She looked around, only to find different persons enjoying dancing, drinking and enjoying the party. Where was Ash?

When she looked back, there was Skeptile, offering her a note. She opened it too.

 **Master**

Skeptile bowed gracefully only to be followed by his Gliscor hitting her, making her fall on the marbelled floor with the heavy Pokémon on top.

She quickly sat on the floor, trying to make the poor pokemon stop crying.

He offered her a note once he was okay and hopped outside. Dawn gave a frustrated sigh.

Everyone was now watching her without saying anything. They were as confused as her. Dawn ignored all the chantings around her and opened the note.

It read,

 **Replace**

She went over all notes. Can our master replace.. Replace what? Dawn shook her head and closed her eyes. Of course that idiot wasn't replacing her. Then what was he going to replace? The more she thought about it, the more it irritated her.

Was he trying to be funny?

Brock placed a hand on the fuming girl.

"What the hell is he trying?" Dawn asked out.

Brock shrugged, pointing at the incoming Glalie,"I don't know."

Dawn took the note and quickly opened it.

 **Your**

"What? What mine?" She bit her lip. Everyone was now focusing on her, oblivious to everything going on. Except Delia, who was busy waiting for another Pokémon.

This time it was Greninja who came inside followed by Pikachu. Why was Pikachu holding a pokeball?

Dawn took the note from Greninja and stepped back, looking at Pikachu who was waiting to open the pokeball.

Dawn slowly read the note,

 **Surname with Ketchum?**

Brock, who was standing nearby, read the note too. Dawn was blank. Brock quickly composed himself before muttering the sequence of notes,"Can our master replace your surname with Ketchum?" He quickly shouted out,"Holy shit; Ash proposed!"

Dawn was still looking at Pikachu who opened the pokeball to show a beautiful but simple gold ring inside, with a small diamond resting on it.

It was..Ash was trying to make this proposal special. A warm feeling bubbled up in her gut and she gave a short, startled laugh.

She scooped up the rodent, ignoring all the commotion around her. Some were congratulating, others were amazed at his idea. Johanna and Delia high fived... Wait.. They just copied their offsprings.

Dawn looked around. Where was Ash? Well... One way to call him out,

"YOU CRAZY ASH KETCHUM! ATLEAST COME OUT AND PUT THE RING ON MY FINGER! I'M NOT MARRYING PIKACHU YOU KNOW!"

The room laughed as Ash sheepishly came inside, looking extremely embarrassed. Dawn puffed her cheeks in mock anger,"Ash.."

He waved his hands defensively,"I was just monitoring everything outside and I was scared to face your reaction and..."

She threw her arms around him, muttering,"Just put the ring already."

"You won't reject me?"

She rolled her eyes,"For the past few months, you were addressing me as Mrs. Ketchum. Did I reject back then?"

He laughed nervously,"No.."

"But I will if you just don't put it already..." She warned, waving her left hand in front of him.

Ash quickly took the ring, fumbling with it and slid it on her waiting finger. She hugged him again, and he took the opportunity to pull her into a kiss.

The kiss was short and he slowly whispered in her ear,"Tonight, I'm gonna make love to my fiancée."

Dawn pushed him, clearly embarrassed,"Pervert."

He laughed. Dawn grew more red when she heard her own mother squealing,"I can imagine junior Ash running around."

Delia protested,"Nah! They will have a mini Dawn first."

Johanna cut her off,"No! First mini Ash then mini Dawn then again Ash and then again Dawn..."

The two kept on rambling and a flushed Ash and Dawn quickly shut them up,"Shut up Mom!" Now they knew where they got their perverting instincts.

Delia spoke again,"Aww.. Dawn called me Mom!"

Johanna added,"Ash called me Mom too!"

Ash quickly whispered in her ear,"Are they nuts?" Dawn shrugged, watching the two grown up deciding their kids name,"Probably."

Suddenly Dawn was engulfed in a tight hug by May, Misty and Leaf and soon, Serena joined the hug too, congratulating her. Ash saw Paul smirking at him and he just smiled. Brock soon shook hands with him while Gary teased,"Whose gonna be the best Man at the wedding?"

Ash visibly paled when he saw all his companions looking at him strangely. Why was everyone giving him that look?

Serena popped the same question,"Right, whose gonna be the maid of honour, Dawn?"

Ash and Dawn's back pressed against each other as they realised their friends had cornered them. Who will they choose?

Ash suddenly felt Dawn's hand enveloping his as she softly whispered,"If we stay, we will be torn apart in a tug of war."

Ash nodded, ignoring everyone's questions,"Lets run away."

Dawn looked at him and giggled,"Sure!"

"Oi!" Gary intervened,"What are you two blabbing about!'

Ash suddenly pointed at far corner of the room, shouting,"Holy shit! Is that Mew?"

Every eye darted at the direction except Delia who shouted,"Stop swearing Mister!"

But Ash and Dawn were both gone, running out and giggling like kids. Iris yelled frantically,"He is such a kid! He fooled us!"

"That dumbass!" May cracked her knuckles as Drew laughed,"Now, now. What about tracking them down?"

A chorus of yes filled the room as they ran out, except Holly and Paul who just tsked,"That's childish."

Johanna laughed at his Paul's irritated behavior,"If you're dying to track them down, go ahead."

Delia smirked when Paul gave a defeated sigh and ran out to follow Ash and Dawn.

Who knew a simple swapping of heart would make them realise so many things!

* * *

.

 _ **Completed!**_

 _ **Its short but I loved it. I hope you all do too!**_

 _ **Yeah, the epilogue came out a lot sooner. Apparently I got the idea after posting the final chapter and quickly wrote it down.**_

 _ **So, for the last time, bye! I hope you loved it!**_

 _ **Till I come up with a new fic, enjoy and read my other stories! Thanks for sticking around!**_

 _ **~ darkestlightofhope**_


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